Review: The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott

Description (from cover):

'In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared--making headlines across the world--only to show up eleven days later at a spa under an assumed name. During those eleven days, did she have time to write a play?

Jordan Kelly needs a new job and a place to live. She's back in Harrison Falls, New York, living with her not so law-abiding uncles, in debt thanks to a credit-card stealing ex and pending grad school loans.

Enter the perfect job, a research position the includes room and board, which will allow her to spend her days hunting down rare mysteries for an avid book collector. There's just one problem: her employer Vera Van Alst--the most hated citizen of Harrison Falls.

Jordan's first assignment is to track down a rumored Agatha Christie play. It seems easy enough, but Jordan soon finds out that her predecessor was killed while looking for it, and there is still someone out there wiling to murder to keep the play out of Vera's hands. Jordan's new job is good...but is it worth her life?'

My thoughts:

I absolutely adored this book. It was a delightful little cozy mystery that was perfect in every single way. I love the book collecting angle and the characters were well-developed and the plot was suspenseful until the very last page. There were a slew of suspicious characters and clues that had you thinking you had the mystery solved. Of course not. That would be too easy. I loved the plot twists and turns and I absolutely cannot wait for the next one to be released. Looks like we won't have to wait all that long as the next one in this series is due to be released December 3, 2013.

Jordan Kelly has just returned to her hometown of Harrison Falls, New York, after grad school and she is looking for a job and a place to live. Lady Luck is with her when the perfect job lands in her lap. She has to find a play that no one is sure even exists. Her boss, Vera Van Alst, keeps Jordan in the dark about her predecessor and what he was able to learn about this mysterious supposed play. Jordan is shocked to learn that he was killed and she suspects that it has something to do with the missing manuscript. Jordan must use her wits and her resourceful somewhat-criminal uncles to solve the case before she becomes the next homicide victim.

I highly recommend that lovers of cozy mysteries pick this book up today. This was probably one of the best debut cozy mysteries in a new series that I have read in a very long time. Lately the cozies have been somewhat mediocre, but this one nails it right on the head. A perfect novel to while away a rainy afternoon and get lost in a great mystery. Pick this one up, I am positive that you will love it as much as I did.



Overall Rating: 5+

Title:  The Christie Curse
Author:  Victoria Abbott
Series:  Book Collector Mystery #1
Publisher:  Berkley
Publication Date:  March 5, 2013
Pages:  304
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was selected from the library by myself and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: The Highbury Murders: A Mystery Set in the Village of Jane Austen's Emma by Victoria Grossack

Description (from Amazon):

'The death of Mrs. Bates, a very old lady whose hearing had long since gone and who had spent her last few months either in her bedroom or sitting in her chair in the parlor, would have gone unremarked in London, where people spent their time discussing fashion, nobility, and the latest offering at the theatre. In Bath her decease might have been mentioned as a piece of dull news, before the residents and visitors resumed discussing who had been seen at the Pump Room during the day or who was giving a whist party that night.

In Highbury, however, Mrs. Bates' passing was an event which was talked over in every house, both great and small.

Jane Austen's Emma has been described as a detective story without a body--except for those who read carefully, there actually is a body, and the potential for an excellent mystery story. Set about a year after Emma closes, The Highbury Murders pays homage to the wit of Jane Austen and the whodunits of Agatha Christie. You do not need to have read Jane Austen's books to enjoy this novel, but if you have--if you regret that she wrote only six--The Highbury Murders is a welcome extension to her world. Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle somewhere comfortable, and indulge yourself with the proverbial good read.'

My thoughts:

Let me start by first stating that I do not read independent published books. For some reason, they turn me off and I am not sure if it is because I have read some horrors in the past or what. I decided to give independent published books another try when I had the opportunity to read this one for Cozy Mystery Book Reviews. I love mysteries and I love mysteries set within a Jane Austen novel even more, so I picked this one right up. I was so surprised. This one was so hard to put down and I absolutely adored it. Yes, I can't believe that I am actually saying that I loved a self-published book. This book is a gem and should have been picked up by one of the major publishers, but even though it hasn't I still highly recommend this one for lovers of all things Jane Austen.

I have a really hard time getting into sequels to classics not written by the original author. Sometimes they are so overdone it really ruins a good story. However, with this one, Grossack's writing is spot on when it comes to capturing Jane Austen's tone and writing style. That is not an easy accomplishment, by any means, and this author makes it seem so flawless as if Jane, herself, was actually penning this novel.That is saying something. Jane Austen is simply one of my favorite authors of all times and for someone modern and new to capture her voice so well, it actually is quite stunning. A job well done!

The murder in this one is not one easily solved and there are a lot of suspects and motives and clues that will have you guessing until the very end. I love how this one stayed true to Emma and yet was unique in its own way. I highly recommend lovers of Jane Austen and murder mysteries to pick this one up and give it a shot. I hardly think you will be disappointed. In the summary it mentions that the reader does not have to read Emma in order to enjoy this one, but I found that I enjoyed it all the more because I had read it and could easily compare this one with the original. A great read that I could not put down and one that pleasantly left me surprised and in awe.

Overall Rating: 4.5

Title:  The Highbury Murders
Author:  Victoria Grossack
Series:  N/A
Publisher:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date:  March 1, 2013
Pages:  162
Genre:  Historical Mystery
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author, through Cozy Mystery Book Reviews, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

In My Mailbox (May 20)

Cutest little meme hosted by The Story Siren...

Received from Edelweiss for Review:

 

 

1. Belle Cora--Phillip Margulies

2. Circle of Shadows--Imogen Robertson (Crowther and Westerman Mystery #4)

3. The Clockwork Scarab--Colleen Gleason (Stoker and Holmes Mystery #1)

4. The English German Girl--Jake Wallis Simons

5. The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress--Ariel Lawhon

6. Banquet of Lies--Michelle Diener

Received from Netgalley for Review:

 

1. The Bones of Paris--Laurie R. King

Received from Library:

 

 

1. A Friendly Game of Murder--J. J. Murphy (Algoquin Round Table Mystery #3)

2. An Inquiry into Love and Death--Simone St. James 

3. Murder Your Darlings--J. J. Murphy (Algoquin Round Table Mystery #1)

4. The Family Way--Rhys Bowen (Molly Murphy Mystery #12)

5. You Might as Well Die--J. J. Murphy (Algoquin Round Table Mystery #2)

 

 

Bought for Kindle:

 

 

 

1. The Gilded Fan--Christina Courtenay

2. The Oracle Glass--Judith Merkle Riley

3. The Ruins of Lace--Iris Anthony

Bought:

 

 

 

1. Bowled Over--Victoria Hamilton (Vintage Kitchen Mystery #2)

2. Iced Chiffon--Duffy Brown (Consignment Shop Mystery #1)

3. Out of the Easy--Ruta Sepetys

4. Sketch a Falling Star--Sharon Pape (Portrait of Crime Mystery #3)

5. The Begonia Bribe--Alyse Carlson (Garden Society Mystery #2)

6. The Great Gatsby--F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte

Wow, what a haul. It's been more than a week though since I last posted so that's why I have so many on this post. Let me know what you guys think.

Review: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Description (from cover):

'The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted 'gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,' it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.'

My thoughts:

This has been on my 'to-read' list for years and with the movie coming out, I knew that I had to read this one. The movie trailers look so fabulous, but I am a stickler for rules about reading a book before I see the movie and this was no exception. Thankfully, it is a short read at only 180 pages and makes for an interesting book to read on a Friday night in. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations. I love the Jazz Age and the brilliance of the flappers, the speakeasies and the parties. This book really doesn't feature much of what made the 'Roaring Twenties' so fabulous. That was disappointing, as well as Fitzgerald's confusing writing style.

There were times that I was majorly confused with this story. I got the main gist of the story, but some of the minor details were a little sketchy for me. Like how Gatsby got his money and the past relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. It was vague and confusing for me at times that I think that I missed the point on some things.Still I can see how this book has become so famous, but I think the movie will be so much better than the actual book, or at least that is what I am hoping for.

I have to say that I am glad that I read this book as it was killing me to read it. Honestly, I don't get the hype other than it is set in the 1920's. It's not really something that altered my life by reading, like Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte did, but I can check it off my classic book list. I read it, wasn't all that impressed and now I want to see the movie because I can guarantee it outdoes the original book with the fabulous costumes and glitz and glamor of the 'Roaring Twenties'.

Overall Rating: 2

Title:  The Great Gatsby
Author:  F. Scott Fitzgerald
Series:  N/A
Publisher:  Scribner
Publication Date:  Reissued: April 23, 2013
Pages:  192
Genre:  Fiction
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was purchased by myself and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: One Hot Murder by Lorraine Bartlett

Description (from cover):

'Where there's smoke...

Katie Bonner, the reluctant manager of Artisans Alley in the quaint shopping district of Victoria Square, is no stranger to ambivalence. Things have been going hot and heavy with pizza maker Andy Rust--so much so, that Katie has moved in over his pizza parlor. But now that summer's ushered in a heat wave, an apartment above pizza ovens without an air conditioner is making Katie hot and bothered.

At the height of the heat wave, a tragic fire strikes Victoria Square, Wood U, a small store selling wooden gifts and small furniture, is destroyed. But the fire may just be a smoke screen--for murder. A body is found among the charred wreckage, and the victim didn't die from smoke inhalation. He was shot. Now--despite making Detective Ray Davenport hot under the collar--Katie is determined to smoke out a coldhearted killer...'

My thoughts:

This was a cute little cozy. Nothing out of the ordinary and what you would expect to read when reading a cozy mystery. It is July in upstate New York and the heat is making everyone miserable. Just spend a summer in North Carolina is what I was thinking the whole time reading this. You think humidity is bad in New York, try the South in July. Ugh. I am majorly dreading that. Anyways, besides the whining about the heat and humidity, it was a good mystery. Not a whole lot of suspects and clues, but enough to keep me interested. The ending was no big surprise, but not a easily figured out solution either.

There was one thing that really drove me nuts with this one. In here one of the main character's friends is a lawyer and she presses him for attorney-client information to help solve her case. Thankfully, the attorney in this book remains mum on his client's secrets, but I was seriously freaking out the whole time that conversation was going on. I work for an attorney and in the 'real world' an attorney would be disbarred for divulging his client's information. That bothered me a little because it was a little unrealistic, but nevertheless something that caught my attention.

I like the characters and the small town setting in this series. Lorraine Bartlett and her aliases are always a treat to read and I can't wait for the next one in this series to be released as well as her Booktown Mystery series, which happens to be one of my favorites. If you enjoy your cozies cute, sweet and with a little romance in between, I think you would enjoy this series. This one doesn't necessarily have to be read in order, but if you're anything like me, you will start with book one.

Overall Rating: 3.5

Title:  One Hot Murder
Author:  Lorraine Bartlett
Series:  Victoria Square Mystery #3
Publisher:  Berkley
Publication Date:  February 5, 2013
Pages:  304
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was selected from the library by myself and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig

Description (from cover):

'FromNew York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig comes a page-turning novel about two women in different eras, and on different continents, who are connected by one deeply buried secret...

As a lawyer at a large Manhattan firm, just shy of making partner, Clementine Evans has finally achieved almost everything she's been working toward--but now she's not sure it's enough. Her long hours have led to a broken engagement and, suddenly single at thirty-four, she feels her messy life crumbling around her. But when the family gathers for her grandmother Addie's ninety-ninth birthday, a relative lets slip hints about a long-buried family secret, leading Clemmie on a journey into the past that could change everything...

Growing up at Ashford Park in the early twentieth century, Addie never quite belonged. When her parents passed away, she was taken into the grand English house by her aristocratic aunt and uncle, and raised side by side with her beautiful and outgoing cousin, Bea. Though they were as different as night and day, Addie and Bea were closer than sisters through relationships and challenges and a war that changed the face of Europe irrevocably. But what happens when something finally comes along that can't be shared? When the love of sisterhood is tested by a bond that's even stronger?

From the inner circles of British society to the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the red-dirt hills of Kenya, the never-told secrets of a woman and a family unfold.'

My thoughts:

All of a sudden it seems like everyone is on the Kate Morton bandwagon. This book, among some others I have read recently, seem to be based on Kate Morton's formula for a great intrigue-filled book. This one was no exception. It bothers me to an extent because who wouldn't love to read something fresh and not overdone? But for some reason this formula works and captivates the reader from page one making it really hard to put it down. Lauren Willig is absolutely one of my favorite historical mystery writers. I absolutely adore her Pink Carnation series and when I saw that she was writing something a little out of her normal comfort zone, I was thrilled! I congratulate her on branching out and trying something completely different.

Even though the theme seems to be a familiar one here recently, this was still a very good read. Addie and Bea's characters were beautifully created by an author who took the time to get to know her characters. Their story is captivating and utterly glamorous and it's hard not to imagine yourself among the brilliance of English high society. Glittering balls and the dinginess of nightclubs, as well as the uncultivated lands of Kenya, make for an interesting tale rich in detail. I loved the way the author weaved the past and the present into her tale as it made the mystery set in the past so much more interesting. I was dying to get to the end of this one just find out what happened. I really enjoyed the nice little twist at the end.

Some of this story was predictable, but I will give it to the author, she did sneak in some surprises that I did not see coming. For people familiar with Lauren Willig's amazing writing style and historical details, this book will not leave you disappointed. If you are interested in a historical fiction book with a hint of mystery, very closely along the lines of Kate Morton, then I highly encourage you to pick this one up. Don't expect this one to be an exact replica of Kate Morton's works, because Willig does have her own writing style that will leave you wanting to read more.

Overall Rating: 4

Title:  The Ashford Affair
Author:  Lauren Willig
Series:  N/A
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Publication Date:  April 9, 2013
Pages:  368
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was selected from the library by myself and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: The Turncoat: Renegades of the Revolution by Donna Thorland

Description (from cover):

'They are lovers on opposites sides of a brutal war, with everything at stake and no possibility of retreat. They can trust no one--especially not each other.

Major Lord Peter Tremayne is the last man rebel bluestocking Kate Grey should fall in love with, but when the handsome British viscount commandeers her home, Kate throws caution to the wind and responds to his seduction. She is on the verge of surrender when a spy in her own household seizes the opportunity to steal the military dispatches Tremayne carries, ensuring his disgrace--and implicating Kate in high treason. Painfully awakened to the risks of war, Kate determines to put duty ahead of desire, and offers General Washington her services as an undercover agent in the City of Brotherly Love.

Months later, having narrowly escaped court martial and hanging, Tremayne returns to decadent, British-occupied Philadelphia with no stomach for his current assignment--to capture the woman he believes betrayed him. Nor does he relish the glittering entertainments being held for General Howe's idle officers. Worse, the glamorous woman in the midst of this social whirl, the fiancee of his own dissolute cousin, is none other than Kate Grey herself. And so begins their dangerous dance, between passion and patriotism, between certain death and the promise of a brave new future together.'

My thoughts:

I tend to read a lot of British and European history, but one of my favorite periods in American history is the American Revolution. So when I had a chance to read this book, I was excited. However, my excitement was short-lived. I was expecting this one to be more focused on the spy network between the English and the Americans in the Revolutionary War, but this one was steeped in gaudy romance. With more than graphic scenes of rape and sex, it most definitely wasn't my idea of a good read. Sure the main gist of the book was good, if not a little reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet with all the 'star-crossed lovers' mess, but the overwhelmingly graphic sex scenes that occurred quite frequently were enough to put me off this book.

Sure, I am a reader who enjoys somewhat a good love story, but this one was way over the top. I could really care less about what happens in the bedroom with the characters in a book and actually prefer an subtle suggestion, but definitely not any details. I hate books like this because it makes it feel like it's for the more romantically inclined. I like to read about history and real events that actually happened, not sex. If I did enjoy this, I would be reading erotica or something. Most definitely not my cup of tea. So disappointed in this one because it has been quite some time since I have read a fantastic American Revolution based historical fiction novel and I was hoping this would bridge the gap.

I recommend this book to people who enjoy historical romance. If you are looking for a story featuring more historical leanings, then this book is not for you. Apparently this is the first book in a trilogy and I think I'm going to pass on the next installments of this series. Definitely not what I was expecting and more of a let down than a good book to read.

Overall Rating: 1

Title:  The Turncoat: Renegades of the Revolution
Author:  Donna Thorland
Series:  Renegades of the Revolution #1
Publisher:  NAL Trade
Publication Date:  March 5, 2013
Pages:  432
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Get It:  Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.