Category: Mystery

Action Adventure, Mystery, Suspense

Arkangel by James Rollins

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Currently in development as a TV series from Amazon MGM Studios, a story of a thrilling hunt around the globe, pitting nation against nation, as ancient myths of a lost continent prove all too real—the latest novel in the bestselling Sigma Force series from James Rollins, #1 New York Times master of international thrillers 

The execution of a Vatican archivist within the shadow of the Kremlin exposes a conspiracy going back three centuries—to the bloody era of the Russian Tsars. Before his murder, he manages to dispatch a coded message, a warning of a terrifying threat, one tied to a secret buried within the Golden Library of Tsars, a vast and treasured archive that had vanished into history.

As combative forces race for the truth behind this death and alarming discovery, Sigma Force is summoned to aid in the search—not only for this missing trove of ancient books, but to follow a trail far into the Arctic, to search for the truth about a lost continent and a revelation that could ignite a global war. But Sigma Force has its own difficulties at home after an explosive attack on the National Mall—one aimed at the heart of their covert agency—has left them vulnerable and exposed.

The growing conflict—both on Russian soil and deep in the Arctic—will reignite a centuries-old war between the newly resurgent Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican, while sabers rattle across the nations of the Arctic Circle, threatening to turn those icy seas into a fiery conflagration.

Facing enemies on all sides, it will be up to Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force to unravel a mystery going back millennia—and uncover the truth about a lost civilization and an arcane treasure that could save the planet…or destroy it.  

My Thoughts

James Rollins never fails to provide a pulse-pounding, nail-biting adventure. He is at the top of his game with Arkangel, which has nudged The Last Odyssey out of place in the list of my favorite Rollins novels.

Here, members of the Sigma Force team face treacherous demons from their past but also race once again to save the world, this time in the Arctic. One of the things that makes Rollins’ novels much more than the usual action-adventure story is his blend of storytelling, myth, and meticulous research, and he is at the top of his game here.

The incorporation of another aspect of Greek myth – the Hyperboreans – hooked me immediately. Merriam Webster defines them this way:

In ancient Greek mythology, the “Hyperboreoi” were a people who lived in a northern paradise of perpetual sunshine beyond the reaches of the god of the north wind. Their name located them within the Greek world; it combined the prefix “hyper-,” meaning “above,” and “Boreas,” the Greek name for the north wind.

If you grew up devouring mythological texts, you will most certainly enjoy this book. Just so, so good.

Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Family, Historical, Mystery

The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

One unidentified skeleton. Three missing men. A village full of secrets.

The best-selling author of The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna brings us a sparkling—by turns funny and moving—novel about a young American woman turned amateur detective in a small village in Southern Italy.

Calabria, 1960. Francesca Loftfield, a twenty-seven-year-old, starry-eyed American, arrives in the isolated mountain village of Santa Chionia tasked with opening a nursery school. There is no road, no doctor, no running water or electricity. And thanks to a recent flood that swept away the post office, there’s no mail, either.

Most troubling, though, is the human skeleton that surfaced after the flood waters receded. Who is it? And why don’t the police come and investigate? When the local priest’s housekeeper begs Francesca to help determine if the remains are those of her long-missing son, Francesca begins to ask a lot of inconvenient questions. As an outsider, she might be the only person who can uncover the truth. Or she might be getting in over her head. As she attempts to juggle a nosy landlady, a suspiciously dashing shepherd, and a network of local families bound together by a code of silence, Francesca finds herself forced to choose between the charitable mission that brought her to Santa Chionia, and her future happiness, between truth and survival.

Set in the wild heart of Calabria, a land of sheer cliff faces, ancient tradition, dazzling sunlight—and one of the world’s most ruthless criminal syndicates—The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia is a suspenseful puzzle mystery, a captivating romance, and an affecting portrait of a young woman in search of a meaningful life.

My Thoughts

I always enjoy and appreciate a well-written story, and The Lost Boy of Chionia is certainly that.

This is a complex and layered story featuring a fairly remarkable character in Franca, or the maestra of this remote Italian village. I found the story slow to start, but the author clearly relished the opportunity to describe the isolated environment and its inhabitants which shape the story as it really gets going. The meandering pace is the only thing keeping me from really loving this book. I picked it up, put it down, picked it up, put it down so many times. But, I kept at it and was rewarded with a story that unfolded into one of the most interesting tales I’ve read this summer.

Grames is very, very good at writing characters where their true natures are sort of peeled back gradually. She clearly relished the opportunity to build a microcosm of a world in Santa Chionia – a village so remote that its residents might as well be on another planet. Agatha Christie based so much of her work on the premise that evil can exist anywhere, even in the tiniest village, and Grames writes that concept very well indeed.

If you like mysteries without the gore and that make you think, you’ll enjoy this.

Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Published By: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Cozy, Mystery

Death Scene by Carol Perry

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

It takes a lot for Salem locals to get excited about their historic Massachusetts town being known as “the witch city.” But when a major studio arrives to shoot a witchcraft-themed movie, folks go Hollywood. For WICH-TV’S program director and chief documentary-maker, Lee Barrett, however, the project may come complete with a real-life death scene.

Between documenting the progress of the movie, corralling starstruck autograph seekers and fans, and managing unmanageable traffic on Salem’s narrow streets, Lee and her police detective husband, Pete Mondello, are beyond busy. Even Lee’s best friend, River North, tarot card reader and practicing witch, gets in on the action, landing a job as a stand-in and body double. But it only takes one interview for Lee to realize that the male and female leads—whose roles include torrid love scenes—despise each other. Yet the problem is short-lived, literally . . .

When the gorgeous lead actress is found dead on a set staged to replicate the room where suspected witches were tried in 1692—and her on-screen lover, in full costume, is discovered sound asleep in her trailer—the hunt is on for a killer on the loose. Nevertheless, the producer decrees “the show must go on!” Now, even with help from River, Lee’s Aunt Ibby, and O’Ryan, a remarkably clairvoyant gentleman cat, sorting out a witch’s brew of secrets, sorcery, and special effects might turn Lee’s documentary into her own final act.

My Thoughts

This newest entry in Perry’s Witch City cozy mystery series includes all the usual characters and fun plot. It’s a simple, enjoyable reading experience that fans of the series will race through in one sitting. Pretty much what series fan expect.

Usually I have no complaints about Carol Perry’s books, which are always full of likable characters and satisfying mysteries. Here, though, I found the newly married Lee to be annoyingly uncertain about most everything. Not sure why that grated on me so, but it feels a lot like the tension has gone out of the Lee/Pete relationship, rendering it kind of boring, although the big reveal at the end promises some interesting new developments. I’ll still continue to read the series and hope this one was just a blip.

Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Published By: Kensington Publishing
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Detective, Historical, Mystery

A Case of Desecration in the West by

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

‘All is secrecy. All is lies… Does anyone tell us the truth here?’

Scotland, 1691. Hooded figures have been seen in the woods and the dead have been wrenched from their resting place under the cover of darkness and their graves desecrated. A body is found floating in the River Clyde and a Duchess is determined to find answers.

John MacKenzie’s latest case takes him and his loyal assistant Davie Scougall to Hamilton Palace to discover the truth behind the curious drowning of local woman Bethia Porterfield. The kirk and sheriff have pronounced a verdict of self-murder, but the Duchess is unconvinced, and every soul connected to the case is guarding secrets of their own.

Despite mounting pressure to leave the West, MacKenzie and Scougall must navigate the murky waters of the Clyde, where nothing is as it seems, to uncover the truth – was Bethia’s death an accident, a suicide, or part of something much more sinister?

My Thoughts

Fans of historical mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this clever and sometimes heart-wrenching story set in late 17th century Scotland. I say heart-wrenching because the treatment of the woman whose death prompted the investigation is horrifying. This is not a “cozy” mystery but a hard-hitting and well-researched historical novel.

I had not read earlier entries in this series by Douglas Watt, but was easily able to read this as a stand-alone story. Watts is a very capable writer and the scenes and characters leapt off the pages for me. I will be looking up the earlier entries in the John MacKenzie series and adding them to my TBR pile.

To be sure, this is not a book for the faint of heart. There are some startling and graphic imagery and actions described here, historically accurate to the late 17th century. If you enjoy hard-boiled crime fiction with an historical setting, this is for you.

Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Published By: Luath Press
Thanks to BookSirens for the review copy

Book Tour, Cozy, Mystery, Partners In Crime

Death in St. Georges by M.A. Monnin

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Virtual Book Tour – July 29 – August 23, 2024

The Intrepid Traveler Series

Description

When Stefanie and Thomas meet in Bermuda for time alone away from the demands of the Artifact Retrieval Team that Thomas heads, their romantic rendezvous is waylaid after an archaeologist requests their help to recover an emerald bracelet that’s been stolen from his site.

Thomas is reluctant, but Stefanie can’t resist the lure of buried Spanish treasure. Then one of the archaeologists is murdered, and they find themselves on the suspect list. Spanish gold isn’t the only thing uncovered. Secrets can be deadly, and Stefanie and Thomas must find the killer before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

The third entry in Monnin’s Intrepid Traveler Mystery series, Death in St. Georges, is an appealing story featuring a pair of characters who have it all together. Stefanie and Thomas are a charming pair of amateur detectives who magnanimously step into a mystery on the tropical island they’ve retreated to for a much needed vacation. It’s clear the pull of the mystery is part of what keeps them together.

The plot is an enticing mix of the thrill of archaeological discovery, local lore, and plain old human greed. Stefanie and Thomas are a great team, playing off each others’ strengths and always there for each other. The end is especially fraught with danger as the pair battle a hurricane as they place the final pieces of the puzzle on the table.

Monnin is an imaginative and skilled writer, and this story has made me a fan. Recommended!

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
Number of Pages: 264 
ISBN: 9781685126483 (ISBN10: 1685126480)
Series: An Intrepid Traveler Mystery Series, Book 3
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Book Shortlinks:

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Website https://pictbooks.tours/QbMNa     
Goodreads  https://pictbooks.tours/Q57Dm    
BookBub   https://pictbooks.tours/v8MdE    @monninma
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Twitter    https://pictbooks.tours/sZJzm    @mamonnin1
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Author Bio:

M. A. Monnin

M. A. Monnin is the author of the Intrepid Traveler Mystery series, including Agatha Best First Novel finalist DEATH IN THE AEGEAN. Her 3rd in the series, DEATH IN ST. GEORGE’S, came out May 2024. She also writes the St. Killian, PI and the Hawk Hathaway, Time Traveling Troubleshooter short stories. Mary’s short stories have appeared in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and numerous anthologies. A member of ITW, MWA, SinC, and SMFS, an avocational archaeologist and USAF veteran, Mary is a trustee of the Kansas City Archaeological Society and treasurer of Mid-America Romance Authors. She lives in Kansas City, MO. 

Find M. A. Monnin at:
www.mamonnin.com
www.CuratorsofCrime.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @monninma
Instagram – @m.a.monnin
Twitter/X – @mamonnin1
Facebook – @MAMonnin

Partners In Crime Book Tours
Cozy, Food & Drink, Mystery, New Releases

A Recipe for Murder by G.S. Revel Burroughs

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Death has never tasted so good.

“You lot are bloody crime writers. If anyone can get away with murder, it would be one of you.”

An invitation to Burnham Manor, home of celebrity chef, television presenter, and bestselling crime writer Max Wilde, is the pinnacle of a crime novelist’s career. This year’s guests include Sanjay Chakrabati, India’s pre-eminent crime writer; Margaret Hemshaw, author of many bodice-ripping 17th century crime tales; Sydney Fletch, a young rising star in the crime world, and Gareth Sebastian Black, a self-published phenomenon. Also on the guest list is former Detective Inspector Jack Finney, famous for solving the Painswick Poisoning case.

This year’s annual gathering has an extraordinary twist…

On the menu this year will be the deliciously deadly Fugu, carefully prepared by a celebrated Japanese chef. Those who partake of this starter will be hoping that it doesn’t contain any of the poison, tetrodotoxin, one of the world’s deadliest toxins. Or perhaps the guests would enjoy a Soupçon of Suspicion or a serving of Murderous Mushrooms? Also on the menu is the deservedly entitled Poisoned Quail and a helping of Bella-doner kebab, made from some of the world’s finest ingredients, all washed down with a glass of Sparkling Cyanide. When Max Wilde is found dead in bed the following morning suspicion naturally falls on those present. Who slipped the inimitable Max Wilde a dose of hemlock and why? As the list of suspects increases the body count starts to rise…

My Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the English country-house murder trope freshened up for modern readers. I especially enjoyed the clever use of the deadly fugu fish preparation technique and the inclusion of our current fascination with celebrity chefs. The author has written a witty, clever murder mystery featuring characters you love to hate and a couple of very engaging “detectives.”

Added to the wonderful characterizations is authentic and very capable writing. This is an author I would read again and will recommend.

Publication Date: September 5, 2024
Published By: Mr. E Entertainment
Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy

Cozy, Detective, Historical, Mystery

Lies & Deception by Laraine Stephens

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Melbourne 1925.

Jasper Fitzalan Howard is found stabbed to death in his room at The Hotel Windsor. In a bizarre twist, he is clutching a tarot card, the Ten of Swords, in his right hand. Initially, the police identify him as a wealthy investor and a cousin of the Duke of Norfolk. However, while investigating the murder, Reggie da Costa, The Argus’s celebrated crime reporter, uncovers a web of lies and deception surrounding Howard’s carefully constructed façade. It seems that Howard has engaged in swindling wealthy businessmen whilst blackmailing their wives, giving Reggie a host of suspects for the murder. Enlivened by what he discovers, Reggie embarks on a crusade to rid the city of confidence men and ‘snake oil’ salesmen, while tracking down a killer.

My Thoughts

It’s sometimes difficult to read a story that is part of a series when you haven’t read the earlier entries. Fortunately that is not an issue with this 4th entry in the Reggie da Costa series. The author does a great job of filling in any gaps where there’s reference to the earlier books, which are mostly things related to Reggie and his personal life. The mystery here is completely independent and can be read as a stand-alone.

And what a mystery it is! The plot is clever enough to keep you guessing, and is helped along by very competent writing. I found myself utterly relaxed and enjoying the witty dialog and pace of the story. As an older reader, I found myself frustrated and sympathetic to Reggie’s mother and her relationship with Ruby, Reggie’s love interest, but thoroughly appreciated the outcome of their sparring. Both Ruby and Reggie show remarkable aptitude for reading people and deducting. In the end, the bad guys are caught and the heroes celebrated.

I enjoyed this enough that I will seek out the author’s earlier entries in this series. Recommended!

Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Published By: Level Best Books
Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy

British, Fantasy, Ghosties, Historical, Libraries, Magical, Mystery, Suspense, Victorian, Women

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is book one in New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston’s new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghosts.

England, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the city, keeping its secrets, holding long forgotten souls in its stony embrace. Hecate Cavendish speeds through the cobbled streets on her bicycle, skirts hitched daringly high, heading for her new life as Assistant Librarian. But this is no ordinary collection of books. The cathedral houses an ancient chained library, wisdom guarded for centuries, mysteries and stories locked onto its worn, humble shelves. The most prized artifact, however, is the medieval world map which hangs next to Hecate’s desk. Little does she know how much the curious people and mythical creatures depicted on it will come to mean to her. Nor does she suspect that there are lost souls waiting for her in the haunted cathedral. Some will become her dearest friends. Some will seek her help in finding peace. Others will put her in great peril, and, as she quickly learns, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

My Thoughts

Brackston’s latest appears to be the first in what promises to be an exciting series. While I’ve seen some reviewers complain about the end being unsatisfying, I found it quite the opposite – for me the end is a sort of gentle cliffhanger. No, the singular villain has not been revealed but that only serves to make me anticipate the future adventures of Miss Cavendish. And that definitely doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of a satisfying climax – in fact there are two very compelling scenes that lead to the end.

My previous reading of Brackston’s books led me to expect a slow burn of a story, and that’s what I experienced here. The story moves along at a gentle pace as Hecate navigates her new position as Assistant Librarian along with managing her mother’s ambition that she conform to society’s expectations of a young woman. Once the action starts, though, watch out. You’ll be turning pages as fast as you can read.

As a librarian, I connected right away with Hecate’s love of her new work. I enjoyed reading about her work and reveled in her discoveries. Additionally, I was delighted to find that the Hereford Mappa Mundi really exists and spent an enjoyable hour or so reading about it and exploring its images online.

This reader is definitely looking forward to more Hecate Cavendish.

Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Published By: St. Martin’s Press
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Cozy, Mystery

Murder on the Med by Nancy Cole Silverman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A group of rogue seniors trade their pensions for piracy as they sail into their sunset years.

A travel feature turns into a deadly investigation for Kat Lawson when she discovers a missing passenger, presumed overboard, may have been used as a mule to smuggle ancient artifacts aboard Athena, a luxury cruise ship designed for retired seniors at sea.

Lawson has got a plumb assignment, or so she thinks. Travel International has rewarded her with a vacation cruise along the Amalfi Coast to report on a new floating senior retirement center. After working undercover as a travel reporter for the FBI and barely escaping her last assignment with her life, Kat’s job is to relax, take notes, shoot pictures, and report back on an extravagant cruise from Napes to Positano. What could go wrong?

But once aboard, Kat quickly learns it’s not all smooth sailing. Kat finds a handbag for Dede Drummerhausen, the woman who owns the suite where Kat is staying, and hidden inside is a gold coin. Rumors abound. Passengers and some of their possessions have gone missing. The residents are restless, and some on board are suspicious of a travel reporter who might uncover their secret mission. When Athena’s captain discovers Kat snooping below deck, she soon realizes, like the antiquities hidden onboard, that she’s been kidnapped and that her job and her life are in danger.

My Thoughts

Murder on the Med is a light but complex mystery with an unusual setting and charming cast of characters. I’d not read other Kat Lawson books but didn’t have any problem reading this one as a standalone mystery. The character is smart, sassy, and demonstrates some pretty inventive thinking as she unravels the mystery here. And what a mystery! We begin with a possible missing woman and end up in the middle of an audacious trafficking scheme in stolen antiquities.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be recommending the series in my library.

Publication Date: June 4, 2024
Published By: Level Best Books
Thanks to BookSirens for the review copy

Family, Mystery, Suspense, Teens, Women

God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

“Extraordinary…Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History…I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” – Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide.

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

My Thoughts

I requested to review this book because of the location – a camp and community in the Adirondack Mountains in my home state of New York – and also because of my childhood fascination with sleep-away camp. The financial and social circumstances of my family were not those that made the possibility of sleep-away camp attainable, but that didn’t stop me from reading everything I could find about camp experiences, both good and bad. The mystery here is as bad as you can get – a camper disappears. And not just any camper, but the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the campground. The ensuing story covers the full-on search for the camper but also expands to recount the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the camper’s brother 10 years prior.

Told in short-form, alternating viewpoints, I admit I sometimes found it hard to keep everyone straight. However, the stories of two people provided the thread holding it all together – those of Judyta and Tracy, a rookie cop and the closest friend the lost camper had on-site. Their insights to both the camper and to the search process hold the story together.

Tbh, I have little sympathy for “poor-little-rich-girl” stories, but Moore does a decent job of humanizing the women in this story, especially Alice, TJ, and Barbara. I found the end very satisfying, for both plot lines – the death of Bear Van Laar and the disappearance of his sister Barbara. I found myself whipping through the final 20% of the story just to find out what happened.

Definitely recommended.

Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Published By: Penguin Group Riverhead
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy