Review of "ARF: A Bowser and Birdie Mystery" by Spencer Quinn

The detective in this middle-grade mystery is 11-year-old Birdie Gaux, a clever gal who lives in a Louisiana bayou town with Mama, Grammy, and Bowser - her loyal pooch.



As the story opens two houses in the neighborhood have been broken into, including the Gaux residence. The Gaux family isn't missing anything but the neighbors report a missing pearl necklace.



What's this though? Has Birdie spotted the necklace in the neighbor lady's purse?

Soon after the burglaries a hippie girl shows up and befriends Birdie, asking questions about Birdie's dad - a cop who was killed ten years ago during a murder inquiry. At about the same time, a man passing through town takes an interest in Mama....and asks a lot of nosy questions about the Gaux house.



Soon enough someone goes missing, and Birdie and Bowser find the body in the bayou. Further inquiries reveal that everything that happened above is connected, and danger lurks around our intrepid young detective. But anyone threatening Birdie better watch out for Bowser!



The story is narrated by Bowser, a clever fellow who has a spot of trouble with math and idiomatic expressions.....but so what? Bowser is a really funny dog.



He's always surprised to realize it's HIM that's making that growling sound, and he's usually befuddled when he's scolded. What did he do wrong? Moreover, Bowser never misses an opportunity to squeeze himself between Birdie and anyone else...which made me laugh.

This is a well-written and entertaining middle-grade mystery, recommended to kids (and adults) who like these kinds of fun stories.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Seriously...I'm Kidding" by Ellen Degeneres

  



Ellen DeGeneres

I listened to the audio version of this book and it's a lot like watching Ellen talk on her television show - lots of casual, humorous observations about everyday life.

Ellen riffs on a wide variety of random topics, seemingly whatever pops into her head at the moment. For example: People who are late for dinner parties (it's rude and may lead to the hosts being in their pajamas by the time dinner ends).



Being a Cover Girl model - it's hard being beautiful.



Coming out as gay (she's "too gay" for some people and "not gay enough" for others); magazine polls that are bonkers (how far would you take the fashionable color green? all the way? half-way? would you marry it?); when will a sequel finally be made to the hit movie "Finding Nemo" (in which Ellen voiced Dory....of course a sequel has now been made. LOL); and much more.


Finding Dory - the sequel to Finding Nemo

My favorite chapter is Ellen's satirical, funny letter to the security department of a mall where - it's been suggested - she broke a vase in a Pottery Barn store. Her explanation of how this happened - and how it's not her fault - is hilarious. A tip: if you're in a mall, don't swipe a security guard's segway, "accidently" ride it all over the mall, try to return it to a dumpster out back, fall asleep on a sofa in Pottery barn, become startled awake, fall off, and dislodge cushions that fly off to break a vase. And that's not even the half of it.



This is a light, fun book, and the audio version is perfect for doing chores or listening to in the car.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Cinderella Killer: A Charles Paris Mystery" by Simon Brett

In this 19th book in the 'Charles Paris' series, the actor/amateur sleuth investigates deaths in the theater. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****



Charles Paris, stage actor and amateur sleuth, is cast in a pantomime (musical comedy/skit show) of "Cinderella" in Eastbourne.



The rest of the cast consists of semi-famous TV actors, veterans of the stage, dancers, a boxer, and the star of the show - American actor Kenny Polizzi who headlined a smash TV comedy years before. Kenny, who’s been known to abuse alcohol and drugs, is on the wagon and ending an acrimonious marriage.



Acting rehearsals for the pantomime are difficult, with cast members jostling for good lines and good skits while being given no guidance from the director/choreographer who only cares about dance routines.



Kenny, naturally, has carved out a large part for himself that includes bits and pieces from his old TV show.



Thus the set seethes with jealousy and hard feelings and – to top it off - a couple of the actors appear to have a unfortunate history with the star. To add to the mayhem, Kenny’s stalker and his hostile wife soon show up in Eastbourne - as does his agent, who’s been known to enable Kenny’s bad behavior.

Charles and Kenny become friendly, hitting the pub after rehearsals and chatting about life's travails. Charles behaves as he does in all the books in the series, drinking glass after glass of Bell's whiskey or beer and neglecting his estranged wife Frances.



Soon enough cast members start to die and Charles has the bad luck to find the bodies. He decides to help the police by doing his own investigation of the crimes.

Charles' antics are mildly amusing in this light mystery. The parts I liked best (and which made me laugh) were the snippets of critics' reviews of Charles' shows. Seems the poor guy hasn't done a good job yet. This is an okay mystery, a pleasant way to wile away a few hours.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Turbo Twenty-Three: A Stephanie Plum Mystery" by Janet Evanovich

			In this 23rd book in the 'Stephanie Plum' mystery series, the bounty hunter goes undercover in an ice cream factory. The book can be read as a standalone. ***** In this book a frozen corpse covered with chocolate and nuts may be the falllout from a 'war' between ice cream companies. Former bounty hunter Ranger's security firm has been hired to protect the Bogart ice cream factory.....and to expose a possible saboteur. Needing an undercover operative, Ranger hires Stephanie to pose as an ice cream factory worker. So, in addition to her usual job as a bounty hunter, Stephanie lends Ranger a hand. All this leads to some fun scenes where a conveyor belt spews ice cream everywhere ("there's no big red button!"); Stephanie dresses as a clown to sell Bogart bars; and she gets covered with cooking oil redolent of bacon and fried chicken. You know what to expect with this series, and the story contains the usual comic and romantic elements: Stephanie and her sidekick Lula - a flamboyant former 'ho' who carries a big gun - create havoc in New Jersey. Vehicles crash and blow up; Grandma Mazur snags an elderly motorcycle-riding boyfriend.....and hops aboard in her pink pantsuit and white sneakers; Stephanie's mom compulsively irons and has a few nips; Stephanie gets cozy with both her boyfriend Joe Morelli...... .....and her 'friend' Ranger; and so on. In addition, in an attempt to land a reality TV gig, Lula and Briggs (a whiny little person) make videos called 'naked and afraid' and 'naked bungee jumping.' (Now that's something you'd never be able to unsee! LOL) It turns out the ice cream business is pretty dangerous, and more people turn up dead or missing. In fact, before the perp is snagged Stephanie almost becomes a popsicle herself! The book is entertaining - and I got a few smiles - but it's not as laugh out loud funny as previous entries in the series. I'd like to see Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma Mazur go a little more 'over the top' in future books. If you need a break from serious fare the Stephanie Plum books are fine 'go-to' choices. Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Little Black Lies: Three confessions. Two liars. One killer" by Sharon Bolton

The book is set in the Falkland Islands and provides a picture of the rocky topography, cool climate, bushy vegetation, and abundant animal life (especially birds and whales) of the region. It seems to be a beautiful but harsh environment, and forms an excellent background for the story.





As the book opens, a three-year-old boy named Archie, who belongs to a tourist family, goes missing during a picnic. He's the third little boy to disappear from the area within the last few years. The police, local residents, and passengers from a cruise ship all search for the child, who is presumed to have wandered off by himself. Though some islanders fear a child abductor/murderer may have snatched the missing kids, the authorities are extremely reluctant to entertain any such notion.





The story is told from the points of view of three people. Catrin: an animal conservationist whose life was torn apart by the accidental death of her two sons a few years ago. Catrin is a shell of her former self and plans retribution against the woman who 'killed' her boys. Callum: a Scotsman who suffers from PTSD due to horrific experiences in the Falkland War. He subsequently moved to the Falklands and, for a time, was Catrin's lover. Rachel: Catrin's former best friend whose carelessness caused the death of Catrin's sons. Her remorse and guilt overwhelm her.

The gripping story grabbed and held my attention as the main characters (as well as an assortment of strong secondary characters) look for little Archie. While this is occurring a couple of hundred whales beach themselves and Catrin has to deal with this emergency as well, a situation that turns out to be extremely difficult.



Shortly afterwards, yet another little boy disappears. This last occurrence is too much for the local people and tourists, who become frenzied.

Because the book is structured partly as 'oral diaries' narrated by Catrin, Callum, and Rachel, the reader comes to know each character's thoughts as well as their behavior and actions. This gives insight into why things happened as they did. For Catrin we learn about her children's death, her ruined marriage, and her planned retribution against Rachel. For Callum we find out about the terrible things he endured during the war, how he fell in love with Catrin, and how he's determined to help her now. And Rachel talks about her former friendship with Catrin, her rough relationship with her parents, and her difficulties being a wife and mother after the accident.

I found most of the story to be compelling. I wanted to find out what happened to the missing kids and how the interactions among the various characters would play out. I also thought the depiction of the island's culture - including the lack of privacy, celebratory bonfires and fireworks, and quirky people - was fascinating.



I've seen that other reviewers love the book's climax and ending. I was disappointed with them however. I think the last part of the story is contrived and unbelievable. I also think that some mystery aspects of the story are not resolved in a satisfactory fashion. Nevertheless, this is a compelling, well-written story that's worth reading.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Nemesis: A Harry Hole Mystery" by Jo Nesbø

In this 4th book in the 'Harry Hole' series, the detective gets involved in dual investigations. The book can be read as a standalone. ***** Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo police is an alcoholic who's trying to stay on the wagon. That's hard for the detective, who tends to follow his own rules and infuriates his bosses. In this book Harry gets involved with two investigations: a bank heist that left a female employee dead; and the alleged suicide of a young woman. To investigate the bank robbery Harry and his partner Beate Lønn - who can remember every face she's ever seen - study CCTV tapes of the holdup. These provide clues that lead to a convoluted probe of various suspects. Things become even more confused when the bank robberies continue after the ring leader is identified. Are copy cats at work? Meanwhile, Harry's girlfriend, Rakel, is in Russia for a custody battle..... .....so the detective accepts a dinner invitation from an old flame named Anna. Against his better judgement Harry succumbs to various kinds of temptation - and wakes up in his bed the next day with no memory of the night before. Worse yet, Anna is found dead in her apartment. Harry is assigned to Anna's case and - though it's being called a suicide - the detective is sure she was murdered. Harry's in a tricky position though: he has to investigate the killing without admitting he knew Anna....or he risks becoming a suspect himself. Things get even harder when Harry starts to get threatening emails from the real killer. The book has a complex plot involving foreign travel, bank robbers, gypsies, unfaithful spouses, drug addicts, prison inmates, a rich executive, corrupt cops, and more. The underlying theme of the book is nemesis - getting revenge for perceived wrongs. And some of the characters have long discussions about the military strategies of Sun Tsu, author of the 'The Art of War.' There's a bit too much of this for my taste, and the story slows down in places. By the time I finished the book my head was spinning with the twists and turns. Good story, recommended to mystery readers - especially fans of Scandinavian suspense novels. FYI: I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Norwegian Thor Knai. To me it sounds like the author's name is pronounced 'Joe Nesba' and the main character's moniker is 'Harry Hula.'

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Now You See Me: A Lacey Flint Mystery" by S.J. Bolton

A 'Jack the Ripper' copycat is murdering women in London and - like the original Ripper - is taunting the press and the cops.



The copycat seems to be focusing attention on beautiful Detective Constable Lacey Flint, who had the bad luck to find the first victim moments after the woman was attacked.



Because Lacey was first on scene - and happens to be an expert on Ripper lore - she's asked to assist with the investigation being run by Dana Tulloch, head of the Major Investigative Team.

Also assisting with the investigation is rugged, handsome Detective Inspector Mark Joesbury.



Joesbury seems to be suspicious of Lacey for several reasons: she was right there at the first murder, she has a shady background and used to live rough on the streets of London, and she picks up men for one-night stands.

In his eyes, Lacey's a suspect in the Ripperish killings. Of course this doesn't stop sparks of attraction from igniting between Lacey and Joesbury.



Unlike the original Ripper, who murdered downtrodden prostitutes, the copycat targets stylish middle-class women with families.



The copycat does, however, seem to be following the Ripper's timetable and modus operandi: mutilating the women, removing body parts, and so on.

The police have trouble finding a connection between the copycat's victims, but once they do, DC Lacey Flint is panic-stricken for reasons that are revealed as the story unfolds.



The copycat is very clever at misdirection and leaving false clues, and Lacey keeps endangering herself by plunging into situations without appropriate backup, etc. Luckily, Joesbury is usually around to lend a hand.



Eventually the police identify a suspect who has a likely motive, and this eventually leads to a dramatic climax.

I liked the mystery aspects of the book and thought the killer's motive was believable. I also felt most of the main characters were compelling, though I think the author does better fleshing out female characters than male characters. The real Ripper 's history and mythology - sprinkled through the story - add interest. Moreover, Lacey's (and I guess the author's) theory about the original Ripper's identity is clever and plausible.

I'm not a big fan of romance in mysteries so I didn't enjoy the 'push and pull' between Lacey and Joesbury as they dealt with their attraction. However, readers who enjoy romantic suspense will probably like these parts. ❤

Overall, a good beginning to the Lacey Flint series, recommended to fans of the genre.

Rating: 3 stars