Review - A Secret Never Told

This series has been described as Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey.  If that gets your attention, read on.

I have read the first two books in this series, but somehow I never reviewed them (scratching my head).  I don't know how I managed that.  But it is beyond time to share this series with you.  

Author: Shelley Noble

Copyright: Nov 2021 (Forge Books) 330 pgs

Series: 4th Lady Dunbridge Mystery series

Sensuality: Innuendo, PTSD

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy mystery, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Lady Dunbridge, recent widow relocated to US 

Setting: 1908, Mahattan, New York

Obtained Through: Library find

Book Blurb: "Philomena Amesbury, expatriate Countess of Dunbridge, is bored. Coney Island in the sweltering summer of 1908 offers no shortage of diversions for a young woman of means, but sea bathing, horse racing, and even amusement parks can’t hold a candle to uncovering dastardly plots and chasing villains. Lady Dunbridge hadn’t had a big challenge in months.

Fate obliges when Phil is called upon to host a dinner party in honor of a visiting Austrian psychologist whose revolutionary theories may be of interest to the War Department, not to mention various foreign powers, and who may have already survived one attempt on his life. The guest list includes a wealthy industrialist, various rival scientists and academics, a party hypnotist, a flamboyant party-crasher, and a damaged beauty whose cloudy psyche is lost in a world of its own. Before the night is out, one of the guests is dead with a bullet between the eyes and Phil finds herself with another mystery on her hands, even if it’s unclear who exactly the intended victim was meant to be.

Worse yet, the police’s prime suspect is a mystery man who Phil happens to be rather intimately acquainted with. Now it’s up to Lady Dunbridge, with the invaluable assistance of her intrepid butler and lady’s maid, to find the real culprit before the police nab the wrong one . . ."

I love the colorful cast of characters. Philomena Amesbury, known as Lady Dunbridge, or Phil to her friends, is widowed and relieved to be out of her controlling and miserable marriage.  She is enjoying life now living in Manhattan and really likes the thrill of investigating murders.  Her best friend, socialite Bev Reynolds, gets plenty of page time and is the kind of friend you want by your side.  

Phil has a mystery man she calls Mr. X who seems to work as a spy of some sort and filters scraps of information... and romantic attention her way.  Detective Sergeant John Atkins is an honest cop who finds Phil's interferance aggravating, but who may also be fond of Phil.  Preswick is her very proper 70-something butler who loves assisting in investigations. Lily is her lady's maid who carries a stiletto knife and picks locks.  Preswick and Lily are breakout characters who are best-supporting actors.  I adore them.

My Thoughts:  Coney Island is a location visited a few times in the investigation and it was handled quite well.  The characters are all vivid with a touch of humor here and there.  Lady Dunbridge is a sophisticated and worldly woman who is kicking up her heals a bit - thus the comparison to Miss Phryne Fisher.  The suspects all being involved in psychology and psycho-analysis or other mental theories makes the motives tangled. The story is twisty and the reader is along for the ride as information is uncovered until the reveal.  The killer confrontation has some exciting moments I enjoyed immensely. This series is great fun without sacrificing a good murder mystery.

Although I had read the first two books in the series, this book can easily be read out of order or alone without problems.  But the whole series is fun and recommended.  I love how this series is developing and I look forward to each book.  

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

Book Trailer:  

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 

Book Review - Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas

One more holiday read that I didn't get reviewed sooner.  Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Mysteries.  This is part of the Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch world and characters, but not officially part of the series because it is a novella.  I have placed it roughly after the second book (Two Wicked Desserts), although I could be wrong.

Author: Lynn Cahoon

Copyright: Oct 2021 (Kensington)

Series: 2.5 in Kitchen Witch Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy paranormal mystery, amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Mia Malone, owner cook school and dinner delivery business 

Setting: Contemporary--Magic Springs, Idaho

Obtained Through: Netgalley for honest review

Book blurb "For all its merriment, Christmas can also bring melancholy—and in Magic Springs, Idaho, Mia finds that the season has brought her an unhappy ghost who’s pulling poltergeist-style pranks to get her attention. When she demands an explanation, the ghost just sends a message: Ask Mary Alice—that is, Mia’s beloved Grans, who’s been training her to develop her witchy talents. If anyone can figure this out, it’s Grans . . . even if she still hasn’t managed to free Mia’s cat from a previous spell that she cast.

The restless spirit turns out to be Magic Spring’s most well-known ghost, Dorothy, who supposedly died peacefully in her sleep. Now Dorothy claims she was murdered, and she wants her killer brought to justice. And she doesn’t have much patience about it, so the pressure is on Mia—with some help from her boyfriend, Trent, and a strangely secretive Grans. There aren’t many dicing-and-chopping days till Christmas—but this year, the most important gift Mia can give is to cheer up this troubled spirit . . ."

This was my first of this series and it stands well on its own as a complete story.  Mia is a powerhouse of energy and drive.  I enjoyed her relationship with her grandmother and boyfriend, Trent. This is a short and light mystery that heavily features the preparations for a big holiday open house for Mia's business. Dorothy's ghost keeps talking about a deadline that she has to get the killer caught by, which provides a little surprise at the end.  This was well rounded even though a novella.  The ghostly elements aren't scary but provide the impetus to investigate.

Rating: Good - A fun quick read