Review - A Hopeless Case

 When I noticed that the Hallmark series "The Jane Mysteries" was from a book series by K.K. Beck, I had to read at least one of the books.  This is the first book in the Jane da Silva Mysteries, originally published in the 1990s by Hachette Books. 

Author: K.K. Beck

Copyright: May 2001 (Mysterious Press) 271 pgs

Series: 1st in Jane da Silva Mysteries

Sensuality: Medium, mature topics, occasional swearing, woman attacked

Mystery Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Jane da Silva-37 y/o Singer and widow returned from Europe

Setting: 1990s, Seattle, Washington

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb:  "Jane da Silva knows a Cole Porter tune and a silky voice will only carry you so far through the urbane cabarets of Europe. So when the young widow's "eccentric" Uncle Harold dies, she jets back to the States to claim the fortune she dearly needs to ransom her Visa card. Unfortunately, Jane finds her inheritance conditional and her situation critical.

It seems Uncle Harold and his old-codger cronies are part of a secret society dedicated to aiding and abetting offbeat lost causes, and Jane must carry on her uncle's "work" if she expects to see anything resembling a windfall. But just how far will the chic expatriate go when her "hopeless case" forces her to mingle with a sleaze-ball lawyer, a scheming psychiatrist, a sinister New Age cult, a stone-cold corpse -- and a ruthless murderer?"

MY Thoughts:

Jane da Silva is worldly-wise, slightly jaded, a survivor, tough, and determined. The book version has more layers and complexity. I like her.

Police Detective John Cameron ends up on a related murder investigation and doesn't think much of Jane's wacky inheritance setup and thinks there isn't any value in the old suicide. In this first installment of their working together, they are rocky and rapport develops over the course of the story.  

Calvin Mason is the sleaze-ball lawyer who finds her first case for her. He is an interesting character with touches of Don Quixote with his pro-bono cases because he can't turn down the hard-luck cases.

The Trustees, 6 white-haired men, who oversee whether her cases (2 per year required) fulfill the terms of the will to inherit the fortune are named and described in the book, but the show doesn't even have trustees holding the reins of the fortune.  The trustees are:  lawyer George Montcrieff, Bishop Barton, Judge Potter, Professor Grunewald, retired banker Franklin Grendinning, and retired Navy Commander Kincaid. I appreciated the brief introduction to these men.

The hopeless case she begins investigating, that Calvin Mason brings to her, is the 16 years old suspicious suicide of a woman who was in a cult, The Fellowship of the Flame, and mere hours after turning over her inheritance to the cult she dies.  Her daughter is a talented musician and hopes Jane can prove the inheritance was swindled and can be returned to pay for her tuition to a music school. But mostly her daughter wants to understand her mother and why she died.

I enjoyed the Seattle setting and Vashon Island in the Puget Sound that gets featured in the investigation. In my early teens, I lived around that area and visited the Puget Sound once. If I go back, I want to visit Vashon Island.

The killer reveal was tense but seemed too quick. The wrap up leaves it open for Jane's ongoing investigations.

Overall a solid mystery with tense moments, an independent sleuth with common sense and grit. She does take a few risks that put her in danger. I liked the book Jane more than the show's character.

Rating:  Good - A good mystery read. It wasn't great, but it has definite good qualities. I recommend for a beach read. 

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Here is a short video with tourist info on Vashon Island featured in the novel.

Review - Bodies And Battlements

 Author Elizabeth Penney also writes the Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries, which I have only read one of that series. 

Fatal Folio: Cambridge Bookshop Mysteries #3 (click here)

This is a brand new series she has started.  If you've been here long enough, you know I enjoy books set in Scotland. This book is set in England and Ireland too.  I love beginning with the debut novel, so let's see what this new addition to the mystery genre has to offer.

Author: Elizabeth Penney

Copyright: May 2025 (Minotaur) 288 pgs

Series: 1st in Ravensea Castle Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery, amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Nora Asquith, Herbalist turned castle B&B proprietor

Setting: Modern day, Monkwell, Yorkshire in England

Obtained Through: Publisher/Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb: "Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk―she’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . ."

My Thoughts:

Nora Asquith is the responsible daughter who is attempting to financially save the family's castle. Besides her own herbal line of products, she has opened the family's historic home to a small amount of paying guests in hopes of keeping the property in the family.  

Her sister, Tamsyn, is a popular actress home to lick her wounds after her show, Highland Lass, is canceled. Their relationship starts rough but turns to solidarity. Will, the brother who brews his own mead in town, is around sporadically.  Arthur Asquith is their father who spends his time writing the family history.

Among the first guests is Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new in town and hasn't found a place yet. He heads up the investigation into the murder. He is definitely romantic interest material.  Janet Fagan, housekeeper and cook extraordinaire and husband, Guy are the regular staff and part of the family.  English Mastiff, Rolf, and the gray tabby cat, Ruffian are ever present along with Sir Percival, the ghost of a knight make this a fun cast.

The setting is rich with old smuggling caves along shore from the shady past, Sir Percival's ghost, and the small town at the base of the hill below the castle provide a great setting with atmosphere to spare.

The plot moves along well as more suspects are uncovered. The pacing kept my interest throughout.  The killer reveal was only a little tense, but still good. Overall a solid mystery and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Rating: Excellent - Enjoyed it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

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Review - Fondue or Die

I saw one description call this "Miss Congeniality" meets "Law & Order: Dairy Crimes Unit" which cracks me up in itself.  That sets the bar rather high.  Let's see what I thought.

I had only read and reviewed one other in this series"

3) Curds of Prey (click here)

Author: Korina Moss

Copyright: October 2024 (St. Martin) 304 pgs

Series: 5th in Cheese Shop Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy, amateur sleuth, culinary cozy

Main Characters: Willa Bauer, owner of French inspired Curds & Whey Cheese Shop

Setting: Modern day, small town Yarrow Glen in Sonoma Valley CA

Obtained Through: Publisher thru Netgalley for honest review

Book Blurb: "The small town of Yarrow Glen’s neighbor, Lockwood, hosts an annual Labor Day weekend bash: Dairy Days. And Willa Bauer and her cheese shop, Curds & Whey, refuse to miss out on the fun. Willa is thrilled to celebrate her favorite thing―she is a cheesemonger after all―and this festival goes all out: butter sculptures, goat races, cheese wheel relays, even a Miss Dairy pageant. Too bad the pageant runner, Nadine, is treating Dairy Days prep like it’s fondue or die and is putting everyone around her on edge. When Willa finds Nadine’s dead body under years’ worth of ceramic milk jugs, the police aren’t sure whether the death was an accident. But fingers are pointing at Willa’s employee, Mrs. Schultz, who steps in to help the pageant after Nadine’s death. Someone wanted Nadine out of the whey, and Willa is going to find out who." 

My Thoughts:  I haven't read every book before this, so a reader can jump in here and it should be easy to understand the dynamics.  I'll be honest, in the previous book that I read and reviewed in this series, Willa didn't click for me. The character isn't bad, she just wasn't for me. I gave it another try and this outing I have warmed to her a bit. The supporting cast, called "Team Cheese," includes Archie- recently a high school graduate, and Mrs. Schulz- a retired schoolteacher, and Willa's neighbor and good friend- Baz.  They are a found family for Willa and make the story.

There is plenty going on with lots of small town drama, grudges, and personality clashes. The killer reveal is well orchestrated and high tension. Bravo!  I recommend, particularly if you like culinary cozies or cheese in general. 

Rating: Good - A fun read with a good mystery and small town drama galore

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Review - Murder in Berkeley Square

This series has quickly become a "must read" for me. It is also receiving praise everywhere.   Offering “a vibrant picture of the roles Black and mixed-race people played in Regency life” (Publishers Weekly)

Here are the reviews of prior novels' in the series:

1) Murder in Westminster (click here)

2) Murder in Drury Lane (click here)

Author:  Vanessa Riley

Copyright:  Sept 2024 (Kensington Books) 322 pgs

Series:  3rd in Lady Worthing Mysteries

Sensuality:  Period innuendo and adult issues

Mystery Sub-genre:  Historical Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters:  Lady Abigail Worthing, unhappy in a marriage of convenience

Setting:  1806, London England

Obtained Through:  Library

Book Blurb: "A marriage of convenience saved Lady Abigail Worthing’s family from disgrace, but she’s finding her absent husband's endless conditions increasingly repressive. Unable to stay at their London home during the oncoming winter, she accepts a ride to the country (to family for the holidays) from her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. However, she's less than delighted that she’s his excuse to avoid a dinner held by Lord Charles Duncan, one of London's most powerful—and relentless—magistrates. More irritating, women are decidedly unwelcome at the evening’s prestigious discussion of criminality—even though Abigail and Stapleton have solved several cases together . . .  

Then an unexpected blizzard strands them at Lord Duncan’s with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable—and deadly—ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigial’s skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another party is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme . . . coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?

Through deft interrogation, she learns everyone present is connected to Lord Duncan's greatest failure in the courts: the conviction of a Martinique plantation informant for a murder he didn’t commit. But as Abigail races to find who was really responsible for the miscarriage of justice, she'll be forced to put her own and Stapleton's lives at risk in a gambit that will alter their fates forever—or end them permanently." 

My Thoughts:

Lady Abigail "Abbie" Worthing (baroness) is independent and intelligent but a little bit of a troubled soul. Her marriage of convenience has her very troubled as it has been two years since seeing her husband with no change in sight. Commander Stapleton Henderson is her next door neighbor, a recent widower, and a physician. They are clearly good for each other which brings plenty of tension. 

Florentina Sewell, her cousin, is a math minded wiz who makes a great sidekick but can be rather like a mother-hen during this outing.  Mr. Neil Vaughn is her godfather but isn't present in this story much. 

All of the men they are snowed in with are secretive and seem bitter.  The nursery rhyme that all the men got snippets from are eerie and suggest murder for each.

The pace took a little to get going because the first few chapters are Abbie and her cousin in the same room as the first murder is being dealt with in the middle of the blizzard. But those chapters have clues slipped in that become important later.  The pace picks up from there.

Having everyone snowed in is a challenging setup to keep interest and action, but this was handled deftly and ratchets up the tension among the characters.  The plot is twisty and hard to even guess which of the men present (none of them pleasant except Henderson) is the murderer, or if there is more than one.  The killer reveal is harrowing with a startling outcome that was handled well.  The final wrap-up presents a surprise that makes it excruciating to wait for the next book.

I found this an intense mystery with plenty of suspects and few clues. This series shows no slowing or letting up. The author's notes are fascinating and not to be missed as well.

Ratings: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Have you read this book?  Share your thoughts in the comments please.

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Review - Death at a Highland Wedding

This is the 1100th post for this blog!!!  That is a lot of content.

Kelley Armstrong is #1 NYT bestselling author of over 50 novels in mystery, fantasy and horror.  She combines her fantasy and mystery writing into a unique time travel series "Rip Through Time" mysteries. Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth installment in her gripping series featuring a 2019 Homicide detective who time traveled to 1869 and is stuck there.  I have to say when I saw this unique murder mystery concept, I jumped at the opportunity to review!

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Copyright: May 2025 (Minotaur) 336 pgs

Series: 4th in Rip Through Time Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild, clinical descriptions of murder

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Mystery, Time Travel Mystery

Main Character: Mallory Atkinson, modern homicide detective

Setting: 1870s, Scottish Highlands

Obtained Through: Netgalley-Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb:  "After slipping 150 years into the past, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson has embraced her new life in Victorian Scotland as housemaid Catriona Mitchel. Although it isn’t what she expected, she's developed real, meaningful relationships with the people around her and has come to love her role as assistant to undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie.

Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie are on their way to the Scottish Highlands for McCreadie's younger sister's wedding. The McCreadies and the groom’s family, the Cranstons, have a complicated history which has made the weekend quite uncomfortable. But the Cranston estate is beautiful so Gray and Mallory decide to escape the stifling company and set off to explore the castle and surrounding wilderness. They discover that the groom, Archie Cranston, a slightly pompous and prickly man, has set up deadly traps in the woods for the endangered Scottish wildcats, and they soon come across a cat who's been caught and severely injured. Oddly, Mallory notices the cat's injuries don't match up with the intricacies of the trap. These strange irregularities, combined with the secretive and erratic behavior of the groom, put Mallory and Duncan on edge. And then when one of the guests is murdered, they must work fast to uncover the murderer before another life is lost."

My Thoughts:

I have to admit that even though I was eager for a time-travel mystery, I wasn't sure how well it would turn out.  Execution is critical and time travel novels are tricky.  But this was handled very well and the story was great fun.  The idea that modern day Mallory ends up in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchel in the 1870s worked perfectly the way it was presented and solved many problems that could have risen if a stranger suddenly appeared in modern garb (many questions to get around, let alone the language changes in 150 years, but materials used in clothes etc.)  

Although this is the 4th book and I hadn't read any of the prior in this series, everything was explained well and I had no trouble at all jumping into the series at this point.  The relationships are established and Mallory being from the future is already accepted, so in many ways I liked jumping in at this point.

I like Detective Mallory Atkinson who is smart enough to realize she has to meld into the norms of the time for women. She is a well thought out character in extraordinary circumstances.  Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie have accepted she isn't housemaid Catriona Mitchel and that she knows about forensics, advanced policing techniques, and even more important, they appreciate her.  She has found more of a family in the past than she ever imagined.  I like both Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie.  I liked the bride, McCredie's sister even more through the book.  

I love the setting woven throughout the story as not only a lovely area but simultaneously an atmospheric one. Great job in having the place set the tone in several scenes.

The investigation is done in spite of the young and inept constable insisting they butt-out and stop attempting to direct where he should give attention or how to investigate. This tension becomes key.  It is very hard for our trio to figure out who did it until they start to piece together the "why." Why would a popular and well regarded man be murdered?  

The killer confrontation isn't suspenseful.  It is realistic, though, and well done.  I typically love the action and tension filled reveal, but I have to say this time it was emotionally intense.  For once I preferred it this way because it was written so well.  Kudos!  

Overall it is an absorbing mystery and well written with excellent characters that transports you to another time and place.  Highly recommended.  I'm already getting the first in the series.  I don't know how I didn't hear of this series before-but now YOU know.

Rating:  Near perfect - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Here is an interview with the author:

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