Category: mystery

Author: Mark De Castrique
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-59058-941-0
Pages: 250
Price: $24.95

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Sam Blackman and Nakayla Robertson are partners in investigation – and in love. While they are tailing Janice Wainwright, believed to be faking her back pain in a medical lawsuit, Wainwright falls from a mountain and is killed. Blackman and Robertson, as well as some of the local police, question that it was an accident, and a new investigation ensues.

As they dig deeper into the case, new elements of Wainwright’s research emerge, and one more death follows – this time clearly not accidental. Justice comes with a price, and the killer is finally stopped.

This fast-paced and enjoyable murder mystery pulled me in right from the beginning. I enjoyed the relationship between these two detectives, as they bantered light-heartedly throughout the investigation. And I thought the ending was fitting for a book that takes place in the South. I highly recommend The Sandburg Connection.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Mitchell Scott Lewis
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-59058-950-2
Pages: 250
Price: $24.95

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David Lowell runs an unusual detective agency – he uses atrology to predict certain events, and to understand the motives of those he’s investigating. When his daughter, Melinda, comes to him about a legal case she’s working on, Lowell jumps right in to help.

Melinda is defending a bartender who is accused of murdering a judge. All evidence points to her guilt, but Melinda doesn’t believe she did it. Asking too many questions puts their lives in danger, when they start to get too close to the truth.

Murder in the 11th House is the debut novel of Mitchell Scott Lewis. It’s a well-crafted murder mystery, with a satisfying conclusion. My only small complaint is that David and Melinda are a little too perfect. I’ll be looking forward to seeing their humanness in future books. Overall, this one is a winner.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Robert Gruett
Publisher: Nightfold
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-0983721703
Pages: 100
Price: $6.99

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Imagine picking up a small tome, a novella if you will, after taking notice to its titillating name, The Vampire Patrons. Intrigued, you look inside to see that the book is quickly described as a vampire comedy, legal thriller. You’ve got to be kidding! But that’s the point. Robert Gruett is kidding, sort of…his short novel is part comedy, mystery, and fantasy all rolled into one. And it works quite well.

Three sibling vampires, all upstanding citizens in a world where vampires and humans co-exist (apparently along with zombies), meet weekly at Barlowe’s Restaurant. They routinely chat, verbally joust, and are attended to by Larry, a werewolf, who seems to know exactly what his patrons need for their dining pleasure.

Annie, the only female in the group, is a cop trying to solve a series of grisly murders. Freddie has a curious image problem, while Jacob is a respected lawyer. The narrator is an aspiring stand-up comedian who must settle for doing office work. Each week they become increasingly drawn into trying to solve the perplexing crime. Clever conversation and Holmes-like speculation punctuate their sibling rivalries as the plot thickens with each passing week. Larry, not immune to his patron’s dilemma, joins the fray while secretly yearning for Annie’s affections.

The wit is dry, the dialogue fun, and the element of surprise makes for a fitting end. Robert Gruett has done the unthinkable, penning a highly “comic vampire legal thriller” that makes one happy to have picked up such an unusual book at all.

Reviewer: Gene Berger

Author: L.C. Tyler
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem Press
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-934609-76-7
Pages: 240
Price: $14.95

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Ethelred’s friend “Shagger” Muntham is dead. The formal verdict is suicide, but Shagger’s wife, Annabelle, is unconvinced. When Annabelle pleads with Ethelred to investigate, he can’t help but give in to her wishes.

In this farcical murder investigation, Ethelred and his literary agent, Elsie, attempt to determine what really happened the night of Shagger’s death. As they question the guests present at Shagger’s final dinner party, fabricated tales begin to accumulate, creating some unusual scenarios. But if these folks are lying, what are they attempting to cover up and why?

In this third installment of the Ethelred and Elsie series, the reader is treated to a comic British mystery. The banter between these two “sleuths” is delightful, generating occasional mirthful chuckles. And Annabelle is every man’s worst nightmare. I highly recommend this series for all who love a good cozy British mystery.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Anne Loader McGee
Publisher: Vendera Publishing
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-936307-05-0
Pages: 176
Price: $7.99

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Mallory Gilmartin never wanted to leave Philadelphia and move to Cedar Creek, Virginia. Nothing has gone right since she and her family moved into the Marlatt cottage. And now she’s starting to have nightmares that seem eerily connected to the mysterious disappearance of Violet Marlatt fifty years ago.

A man in a sports car nearly runs her down, racing away from Marlatt Manor. A creepy caretaker keeps chasing Mallory and her new friend, Kyle, from the property. And a ghostly apparition appears in the upper window of the Manor. What could it all mean? Is Violet’s ghost trying to get Mallory’s attention?

Mallory won’t rest until she knows the truth of Violet’s disappearance. And in solving this mystery, she may even save the Manor and restore the family property to its rightful owner. Well-written, fast-paced, and full of intrigue and suspense, The Mystery at Marlatt Manor is sure to please all mystery lovers.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Barbara Levenson
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-193351571-7
Pages: 312
Price: $24.95

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Mary Magruder Katz expects to be busy in her line of work. After all, she’s a criminal defense lawyer in Miami, Florida. But on one June day she finds herself caught up in three cases that are anything but boring.

A prominent judge needs Mary’s assistance when her rulings in court are under investigation. A family friend of her hot boyfriend, Carlos, is accused of terrorism. And Carlos himself faces a damaging class action lawsuit. Mary is brilliant in ferreting out the truth and offering sound legal counsel to her clients. But she’s less than perfect at being a girlfriend to a man who clearly adores her. It will be a true test to see if their relationship survives.

I really liked the first book in this series, Fatal February, but I found Mary a little hard to understand in Justice in June. She’s too caught up in her own cases to pay attention to the issues Carlos is having in his business, and she comes across as self-centered. I hope to see Mary soften a bit, at least with Carlos, as this series progresses. Overall, though, this mystery is fast-paced, engaging and an enjoyable read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Barbara Levenson
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-933515-52-6
Pages: 253
Price: $22.95

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Mary Magruder Katz, a half Jewish, half Southern Baptist Miami lawyer, has just taken on the case of the year. While defending Lillian Yarmouth on murder charges, she makes a stop at a car wash and proceeds to turn her life upside down. Suddenly she’s involved with Carlos, a new and very exciting man, left her old law firm, and finds herself being sued by her former fiance on ethics charges.

While everyone seems to adore Lillian and can’t imagine that she’d ever kill her husband, it doesn’t appear that her family is anxious to clear her name. And the evidence Mary uncovers makes things look even more dire for Lillian. It will take quick thinking and legal savvy to outwit the prosecutors and get Lillian off the hook.

Carlos is a distraction all his own, and their new relationship sizzles. A powerful man with friends on call whenever he needs them, he is determined to woo Mary. But sometimes duty calls, and she reluctantly concedes that work must come first.

Fatal February is the first in the Mary Magruder Katz series by Barbara Levenson. A humorous, light-hearted, and romantic mystery, it’s just the right combination for an enjoyable read. I’m adding this new series to my list of favorites.

Reviewer: Alice Berger