Review - The Hollywood Spy

 I'm behind in this series and starting to catch up.  I'm glad I didn't skip any of the books because this is a powerful addition to the series.  I began with the debut novel and have read and reviewed all these:

#1 Mr. Churchill's Secretary (click here)

#2 Princess Elizabeth's Spy (click here)

#3 His Majesty's Hope (click here)

#4 The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (click here)

#5 Mrs Roosevelt's Confidante (click here)

#6 The Queen's Accomplice (click here)

#7 The Paris Spy (click here),

#8  The Prisoner in the Castle (click here)

#9 The King's Justice (click here) 

Plus a wonderful interview with Ms. MacNeal (click here).

Let's join Maggie as she leaves England and travels to Los Angeles to help her former fiancee with a murder investigation.

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal

Copyright: July 2021 (Bantum) 369 pgs

Series: 10th in Maggie Hope Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical mystery

Main Character: Maggie Hope, American now British Secret Service Fund

Setting: 1943, Los Angeles/Hollywood

Obtained Through: Library

Cover Blurb: "Los Angeles, 1943. As the Allies beat back the Nazis in the Mediterranean and the United States military slowly closes in on Tokyo, Walt Disney cranks out wartime propaganda and the Cocoanut Grove is alive with jazz and swing every night. But behind this sunny façade lies a darker reality. Up in the lush foothills of Hollywood, a woman floats lifeless in the pool of one of California’s trendiest hotels.

When American-born secret agent and British spy Maggie Hope learns that this woman was engaged to her former fiancée, John Sterling, and that he suspects her death was no accident, intuition tells her he’s right. Leaving London under siege is a lot to ask—but John was once the love of Maggie’s life . . . and she can’t say no.

 Maggie struggles with seeing her lost love again, but more shocking is the realization that her country is as divided and convulsed with hatred as Europe. The Zoot Suit Riots loom large in Los Angeles, and the Ku Klux Klan casts a long shadow everywhere. But there is little time to dwell on memories once she starts digging into the case. As she traces a web of deception from the infamous Garden of Allah to the iconic Carthay Circle Theater, she discovers things aren’t always the way things appear in the movies—and the political situation in America is more complicated, and dangerous, than the newsreels would have them all believe."

My Thoughts:  Maggie Hope is doing better emotionally in this addition to the series.  But she is now challenged with seeing her ex-fiance and working alongside him to investigate the death of his romantic interest.  She has come such a long way since the first book and this really shows the new Maggie.  The amazing and talented ballerina, Sarah Sanderson, is Maggie's closest friend and features prominently in this outing.  We see how she is lovely on the inside as well as the out.  RAF Flight Commander John Sterling, Maggie's ex-fiancée, is back after many books without him.  This is a changed John as well and he has some issues to face as they investigate the death of his girlfriend, socialite Gloria Hutton.  

As always, the plots are based in solid facts and this is no exception. Rampant prejudice was spreading like a California wild fire in Los Angeles while we fought the same in Germany and Maggie comes face-to-face with the ugliness as she digs into the death of Miss Hutton. The investigation uncovers so much with twists and turns.

The climax is gut-wrenching and tense, a real nail biter.  Excellent job all around.  This sets up for the further adventures of Maggie Hope as well.

A stellar addition to the series, in my opinion.  I couldn't put it down and devoured it.  This is not only an excellently crafted book but it is a look at the times showing the glitz and the ugliness.  Bravo.  I would love an autographed copy, which is rare for me.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.  Buy a copy for everyone you know, it's that good. 

Review - Mimi Lee Cracks the Code

This is the third book and although I usually like to start at the beginning, I liked the blurb for this book and decided to give it a try.  I had no problem jumping in with the third book at all.  Book one was "Mimi Lee Gets a Clue" and the second was "Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines."  Let's take a break from the cold winter and go to sunny California.  

Author: Jenifer J Chow

Copyright: Nov 2021 (Berkley) 286 pgs

Series: 3rd in Sassy Cat Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Mimi Lee, Owner of Hollywoof Pet Grooming 

Setting: Contemporary Los Angeles, CA

Obtained Through: Netgalley for an honest review

Book Blurb:  "Mimi Lee just found an extra perk to being a pet groomer at Hollywoof (other than cuddling animals all day long, that is). Pixie St. James, one of Mimi’s clients and the investor behind Hollywoof, has offered her and her boyfriend, Josh, a getaway at her vacation home, nestled on beautiful Catalina Island. With the island just outside of Los Angeles but still far enough from the hustle and bustle, Mimi, Josh, and their cat Marshmallow (who, of course, wouldn’t be caught dead in a dingy pet hotel) are excited for their relaxing stay.

 That is, until Pixie’s last renter, Davis D. Argo, turns up dead. Mimi and Josh’s romantic getaway immediately turns into an enormous buzzkill, especially when Pixie asks Mimi for help. The police suspect Pixie, and Mimi knows a thing or two about wrongful allegations. Mimi figures it couldn’t hurt to snoop a little since she’s already there, and soon discovers that a valuable item is missing. Except Pixie isn’t the only one in the neighborhood who has been robbed. There is something strange happening on the island, and Mimi won’t stop until she finds out what it is."

Mimi Lee is a fun character who loves animals and is working hard to make her dreams come true. Alice, her sister is the funny counter to Mimi's more serious character.  Her boyfriend, Josh, is building his career as a young lawyer but they don't get much time together in this book, and go through a rough patch.  Mimi's mother seems to be a reoccuring character who is meddling in her daughter's lives. Of course Marshmallow, her talking cat, is the snarky star of the story who keeps things light, is a great sleuthing partner, and can be counted on in a crisis.

My Thoughts:  This is a delightful and enjoyable cozy mystery. Mimi Lee is very relatable working to make her pet grooming business a success while dealing with her overbearing mother.  Fortunately, since she has a boyfriend her mother isn't constantly trying to set her up. No, that has now fallen upon her poor sister, who relies on Mimi to run interferance.  Sister provides comic relief dealing with their mother.  Catalina is described well and brought my one trip there as a teenager back to me.  My one significant complaint is Mimi's interactions with Detective Brown are over-the-top (i.e. flouncing into his office and telling him who he needs to investigate more because of some little tidbit she uncovered.)  But that is only a couple of scenes and the rest is a fun read.  The reader is getting the clues as Mimi uncovers them and the killer reveal had some good tense moments like I enjoy.  

Rating: A good fun read when you want something lite 

Review - Grave on Grand Avenue

This is a new series that I reviewed the debut novel, Murder on Bamboo Lane (click here) and we were honored to have a guest post from Ms. Hirahara (click here).  Let's see how the newest book in the series does today.

Author: Naomi Hirahara

Copyright: April 2015 (Berkley) 304 pgs

Series: 2nd in Officer Ellie Rush Mystery series

Sensuality: some scattered swearing

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Police Procedural

Main Characters: 23 year-old Officer Ellie Rush, bicycle cop

Setting: Modern day, Los Angeles

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

While Ellie is patrolling one of Los Angeles’s premier concert halls she chats with gardener Eduardo Fuentes. Minutes later she finds him lying at the bottom of a staircase, clinging to life and whispering something indecipherable. The father of Xu (pronounced "Chew"), a popular Chinese classical musician, accuses Fuentes of attempting to steal his son’s multimillion-dollar cello and was knocked down as a result. But Ellie has trouble believing that account.  Mr. Fuentes dies from his injuries and Xu goes missing.  All while the department is scrambling to stop a rash of robberies from the Old Lady Bandit.

A substory has Ellie dealing with family drama when she discovers that the person who stole her beat-up 1969 Pontiac Skylark is a long lost relative with hidden agendas and a dark past.  

Ellie Rush is half Japanese, and among her friends her career choice isn't appreciated.  She has to deal with derision because she is a lowly bicycle cop and distrust because her Aunt Cheryl has the Police Chief job in her sights. Nay Pram is her best friend who puts distance between them during this book as she follows her journalism career that conflicts with Ellie's at times.  Detective Cortez Williams gets little page-time, but his scenes show him to be a good influence for Ellie.  Benjamin, Ellie former boyfriend, appears in this story again and there is some resolution between them.  Aunt Cheryl is still ambitious but shows her family loyalty as well.  Ellie's father takes the family drama poorly, which actually had me liking him for his struggle.

Ms. Hirahara displays Los Angeles as vibrant and busy with its big-city problems.  She deftly flavors the book with the mix of cultures that shapes LA into its own unique identity.  The plot was fine with the Old Lady Bandit case in the background and the struggle over a renowned musician's Cello resulting in death.  But, I do have to say that neither story line had much immediacy to it, nothing that raised the tension to hurry and solve the murder etc. This low tension factor slowed the pace a bit as well. 

The climax had one notable tense moment around the Old Lady Bandit case, but the resolution to the disappearance of musician Xu and his father was anti-climatic and matter-of-fact.  The wrap-up emphasized how important the bond between her friends is and gives a positive note as well as a development with with Cortez that leaves the reader wanting more.

This second book had a tough act to follow from the debut book in this new series.  It is a solid story with wonderful and fresh characters that lacked a suspenseful engine to ratchet-up the tension. All-in-all, I enjoyed the book and appreciate Ellie and her world.

Rating: Fine - A fun read, good but not stellar. 

Review - Beaglemania

For all you animals lovers out there, here is a new series featuring a pet rescue.  No talking pets, no hearing the animal's thoughts, no super-animals, but plenty of lovable animals and a gutsy sleuth who has a heart for the four-legged-furry beings among us.

Author:  Linda O. Johnston

Copyright: March 2011 (Berkley) 298 pgs

Series: 1st in Pet Rescue Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild romance

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy

Main Character:  Lauren Vancover, head of HotRescues, a privately funded no-kill animal shelter

Setting: Modern day, north of Los Angeles

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review

The trouble starts when Lauren helps rescue four beagle puppies that were dumped down a drainpipe at a nasty puppy mill. One of the mill's employees, Efran has a history of dog abuse and as a condition of his plea agreement for a recent animal cruelty charge he volunteered at HotRescues to learn to treat animals ethically. Needless to say, Lauren is upset to see Efran was part of the abusive puppy mill.  When Lauren arranges for him to be banned from working at HotRescues, Efran makes vicious threats to Lauren, the whole staff and the animals at the rescue.  

But when Efran is found stabbed to death at HotRescues, Lauren is quickly painted as the killer, and somebody who knows how to access the shelter undetected by the security cameras is setting her up as the fall guy the more time goes by.  Lauren starts to investigate on her own and nobody is above suspicion, not even the attractive Capt. Matt Kingston of Animal Services who appears to be interested in her.

Apparently this new series has a tie-in to the Pet Sitter Mystery series which featured Kendra Ballantine, who is the millionaire who funds HotRescues' girlfriend.  Kendra gets a cameo appearance in this new series.

As cozy mysteries go this is a solid entry.  Lauren is a mother with children in college who, after being widowed had a bad second marriage and is very gun-shy.  She comes across as a pretty level-headed if stuborn woman who doesn't take no for an answer easily.  She has a hard time relying on others which is put to the test as she has an increasingly hard time separating her true friends from who is setting her up.

 The other characters include Captain Matt Kingston of Animal Services who makes a good potential love interest and someone who may be a good match for Lauren.  There is the private owner of HotRescues Dante DeFrancis who made his millions with a chain of pet stores - definite potential for this character in future books.  The right-hand person at the rescue, Nina who is fresh out of an abusive marriage - I could see her character taking off.  Then there is Lauren's best friend Carlie, a veterinarian and host of a television Pet Health show.

There is plenty of information about pet rescues scattered throughout the story.  I felt it was presented as part of Lauren's job and passion as opposed to being overwhelming or tedious.  I certainly have a new appreciation for the hard work of running a pet rescue after this book.  You will definitely understand a pet lover's feelings about puppy mills or dog fight participants upon reading this book.

There are several suspects to wade through and Lauren handles investigating in a logical manner, for the most part.  There were two places when I thought it just didn't make sense to expect gaining an upper hand on the killer in that manner.  The plot was well laid out and the killer was somebody that early on I thought of but discounted later so I felt it gave me a good red herring there.  The climax was good and the wrap up was uplifting and even heartwarming.

All-in-all, an exciting new cozy series that has a solid debut and lots of potential for future entries.