An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden

AN ARTFUL DODGE by Karen Odden is an historical fiction mystery story set in 1879 London. The main character is Kit Jimeson, a twenty-year-old orphan who has been responsible for raising her younger sister, Sarah. Kit does so by acting as a thief (like her mother before her) in an all-female gang that is managed by Amelia. In fact, Odden introduces roughly three dozen characters (even providing a helpful list) and the relationships, spanning multiple generations, are a bit complex. Trouble really begins, though, when Maggie (whose mother used to run the gang) returns after being sent as a criminal to Australia and wants to replace Amelia and take things over. Kit then needs to balance Maggie’s demands (especially related to an expensive necklace) with safety for herself and Sarah. She relies on a small trusted group with surprising ties to Fleet Street and Scotland Yard, and the dangerous heist is on. The pace picks up in the last third of the book and while the ending is a bit abrupt, it looks like there will be more adventures to come. Publishers Weekly gave AN ARTFUL DODGE a starred review (“Odden matches vivid details of the hard-knock life in Victorian London with complex backstories for her large cast. Readers will be rapt.”). An entertaining, twisty and suspenseful tale from an award-winning author.

The Golden Spoon and A Mansion for Murder

Two new mysteries to be published in March:

THE GOLDEN SPOON by Jessa Maxwell is a delicious debut which, as the publicity materials note, combines elements of The Great British Bakeoff with Only Murders in the Building. It is a totally fun immersion in behind the scenes view of Bake Week, a television contest (complete with big white tent) hosted by “America's Grandmother,” Betsy Martin, at her longtime Vermont family estate called Grafton Manor. There are six contestants who share narrator duties with Betsy. That moves the story along as we see the varied plans for baked goods from Gerald, a precise and logical math teacher; Stella, a former journalist recently turned baker; Pradyumna, an entrepreneur looking for adventure; Peter, a restoration specialist; and Lottie, a nurse and long-time baker in contrast to Hannah, one of the youngest contestants ever on the show. Each has some backstory that is gradually revealed, adding to the ominous foreboding feeling as (of course!) a storm rages. Designed for amusement and entertainment, albeit with some serious elements, THE GOLDEN SPOON received enthusiastic starred reviews from Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

I really enjoy the Kate Shackleton Mysteries so I have already finished a preview copy of A MANSION FOR MURDER by Frances Brody, number thirteen in the cozy mystery series. Once again, Kate is immersed in the affairs of a small village (Saltaire) and its manor house, Milner Field, is purported to be cursed. She has arrived due to receipt of a cryptic letter from a local resident named Ronnie Cresswell who, sadly, is killed before they have a chance to meet. There are echoes of much earlier deaths in the region and Kate and her colleagues step up to investigate motives (industrial espionage? thwarted love affairs? covering up a theft?) with plenty of suspects and unexpected connections across generations and between social classes. Kate is a capable sleuth and Brody has developed another multi-faceted mystery to keep her readers guessing. Enjoy!

Cozy Mystery stories ...

Here are a couple of additions to popular mystery series:

GOD REST YE, ROYAL GENTLEMEN by Rhys Bowen is yet another title in the Royal Spyness series involving Lady Georgiana.  This time, she and several family members are invited to be guests near Sandringham as the Queen celebrates Christmas.  A terrific blend of 20th century history (involving European politics prior to WWII), plus upper-class manners and holiday customs, this mystery brings Lady Georgiana once again face-to-face with a murderer. Someone takes a shot at the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VIII, and several employees are also hurt or die in suspicious circumstances while on the estate.  As the holidays near, look for GOD REST YE, ROYAL GENTLEMEN if you would like reading about “a cast of charming, quirky characters … [in a] lovely English Christmas cozy” (quote from Publishers Weekly review).

CLAWS FOR ALARM by Rita Mae Brown is A Mrs. Murphy mystery – actually number 30 in the series involving a dog named Tucker, and two cats, Pewter and Mrs. Murphy. I generally enjoy spending time with their owners: Harry, former postal worker, and her husband, Fair who is the local vet in Crozet, Virginia. However, it seems like Rita Mae Brown and her “co-author” Sneaky Pie Brown are sadly running out of ideas. The dialogue and text here felt repetitive and the story itself, involving the death of a local matriarch and subsequent squabbling by her adult children, was not particularly original or inventive.  Combining the modern day happening with a mystery set far in the past generally adds confusion encouraging the reader to focus on one storyline or the other. Earlier tales in this series are more engaging and worth a look. 

The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi

THE EIGHTH DETECTIVE by Alex Pavesi is often and aptly described as inventive. It is a terrific set of murder mysteries within a mystery and will appeal especially to fans of Anthony Horowitz (The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death) or of the debut novel, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton. In Pavesi’s work, readers meet the main characters, Julia Hart (an editor) and Grant McAllister (a writer) after having already been entertained and surprised by a short story involving murder at a villa in Spain. McAllister is a mathematician who many years ago had self-published a collection of short story murder mysteries, each intended to illustrate his theories about the permutations of detective fiction. Julia is an editor working to get some background prior to a forthcoming wider publication of the stories. After each story is read, she asks several probing questions and Grant attempts to explain his thinking.  The stories themselves are suspenseful and intriguing, often paralleling the features (locked room, detective as killer, etc.) used by famous mystery writers such as Christie or Conan Doyle.  However, there are some inconsistencies in the stories and a sense of menace increases as they become darker (a woman falls to her death, another is drowned in the bath, a grandmother is smothered). I definitely enjoyed the mystery aspect, but also found much to appreciate in Pavesi’s descriptive writing style and his use of frequent similes. I am highly recommending THE EIGHTH DETECTIVE which received a starred review from Booklist. 

More mysteries ... cozy and cozier ...

Regular readers know that mystery stories are some of my favorite reads, a guilty pleasure, and a perfect escape over the holiday break.  Here’s a quick summary of a few titles …

My favorite in this group is MURDER IN RAT ALLEY by Mark de Castrique.  It is the Sam Blackman Mystery #7 and I have already commented on several others in this series. Once again, Sam and his partner, Nakayla Robertson, find themselves investigating a murder in the Asheville, North Carolina area.  This one occurred about seventy years ago and was successfully hidden for most of that time. Once the skeleton is discovered, though, danger increases, including for Sam and Nakayla. The story centers on government actions at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), a former NASA installation. Sam speaks to former employees and pursues some erroneous theories, finally reflecting that “My grandmother always told me I had two ears and one mouth for a reason. I should listen twice as much as I speak.” I love the many twists and local flavor (numerous charming details like an Irish pub with Harp, Guinness, and Smithwick’s on tap) in this mystery series and look forward to more.  

THE BODY ON THE TRAIN by Frances Brody is another cozy mystery in the Kate Shackleton series, set in 1920’s England. Shackleton, a private investigator, is chosen to help Scotland Yard identify a body found in a rhubarb shipment from Yorkshire. Seems implausible, but labor problems and other strife add a serious concern and another death to the story.  Posing as an inquiring photographer, Shackleton visits a former school friend who is married to the local mine manager.  There, she investigates several happenings, allowing the story to deal with class conflict and potential national security concerns. For a puzzling mystery with compelling historical insight, choose this or another title in Brody’s entertaining series.

  

A LEGACY OF MURDER by Connie Berry is the second in the Kate Hamilton mystery series and is set in the present day at Finchley Hall, an Elizabethan House with extensive grounds and a history of murder associated with its treasure, called The Hoard. Hidden in the mid-1500s and missing until much later, these jewels and antique pieces are soon to be put on display. In fact, that is where Kate comes in because she is visiting her daughter who is an intern at Finchley Hall, and one of the other interns dies suddenly.  The circumstances mirror events from almost a quarter century ago when another display of The Hoard was planned. Kate steps in to complete the catalogue of materials as well as to assist in the investigation – not quite the way she expected to be spending time with Detective Inspector Thomas Mallory, a romantic interest from an earlier European trip. Another cozy mystery with likeable characters, historic references and some antiquing lore, too. There’s also some drama and angst associated with Kate’s daughter and her friends which will add to appeal for younger readers.

THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY is by Lynne Truss, perhaps best known for her non-fiction work Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. This new title is her second mystery featuring Constable Twitten and I was looking forward to it after having heard some enthusiastic comments from readers about the first, A Shot in the Dark. In fact, the Wall Street Journal called that initial effort “the funniest crime novel of 2018.” Perhaps I was not patient enough, but this mystery set in late 1950s Brighton, England did not have characters or humor that appealed to me. You may feel differently; Booklist suggests it for fans of Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May mysteries.

THE BOOK OF CANDLELIGHT by Ellery Adams is another mystery story in a series that features four strong women (a bookshop owner and bibliotherapist, a baker, a salon owner, and a local spa employee) who formed the Secret, Book, and Scone Society and who rely on each other for support in the face of financial and personal problems.  They live in Miracle Springs, North Carolina and are active community members, stepping up to offer solace to Marie, whose husband Danny (a Cherokee potter) has drowned in questionable circumstances. I eagerly anticipated this newest installment, but found that THE BOOK OF CANDLELIGHT seemed to “drag” a bit in the middle, before offering perspective on the impact of prejudices, both past and present.  Like others in this series, there are plenty of references to reading and book titles and appeal for cozy fans so do look for Adams’ work, particularly if you prefer a less violent mystery set in a small town.