Review of "Hallowed Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery" by Carolyn Haines

In this 5th book in the 'Sarah Booth Delaney' series, the private detective is hired by a woman accused of killing her child. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Doreen Mallory - a spiritual healer living in New Orleans - is accused of murdering her severely handicapped infant daughter. Doreen is visiting her dead mother's grave in Zinnia, Mississippi when she's arrested.



Private detectives Sarah Booth Delaney and Tinkie Richmond are hired to prove Doreen's innocence.



Turns out that Doreen's mother - who she never knew - was the unmarried "street corner preacher" Lillith, who used to harangue the local teens with rants against unwed sex.



Sarah Booth and Tinkie look into Lillith's past and are surprised to discover that she had three children out of wedlock. The detectives then travel to New Orleans, where Doreen is jailed, to look into her case.

Doreen admits that several men - a senator, a preacher, and a financial advisor - are candidates for father of the child, and the detectives proceed to question these men, thinking one of them may be the real murderer.



Most of these characters are rather two-dimensional but serve their purpose as possible suspects.

Many of the recurring characters in the series are on hand, including Jiffy - the fashionista ghost that gives Sarah Booth life advice (I love this character).



Other returning characters are Coleman - the married cop in Sarah Booth's life; Connie - the married cop's mentally disturbed wife; and Sarah Booth's friend CeCe - the tough transgender reporter. Sarah's handsome former lover Hamilton also puts in an appearance, and Sarah is conflicted between her attraction to Hamilton and her love for Coleman.



This is just an okay cozy mystery with detective work that seems rather superficial and uninspired. It's entertaining though, to visit with the characters in Sarah Booth's circle and observe their familiar shenanigans.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Secret Mother: A Psychological Thriller" by Shalini Boland

Landscape architect Tessa Markham has been touched by tragedy. What should have brought great joy - giving birth to fraternal twins.....



.....turned out to have sad consequences. Her daughter Lily died at birth and her son Sam died three years later from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.



Shortly after Sam's death Tessa 'kidnapped' an infant in a pram, and - when apprehended - claimed she found the baby unattended and was taking him to the police station. The story seemed sketchy but Tessa was known to be grief-stricken and clinically depressed, so no charges were filed.



Now, a couple of years later, Tessa is separated from her husband Scott, working at 'Villa Moretti Garden Center', and living alone.



So it's a shock when Tessa returns home one afternoon to find a little boy - who says his name is Harry - in her kitchen. Harry is calmly coloring pictures and says that Tessa is his new mummy.



Not wanting to face the police on her own, Tessa calls her estranged husband Scott - who immediately insinuates she snatched the child.



Unfortunately the police have a similar reaction, and Tessa teeters on the edge of being charged with abduction while the cops investigate.

Tessa's nosy neighbor Carly is a freelance journalist, and it doesn't take long for articles to appear online, with the headline: "Did Tessa Markham abduct a five-year-old boy?"



From here on, Tessa's life becomes a nightmare. Packs of journalists camp outside her home and workplace, and she can't put a foot outdoors without being chased by reporters and snapped by photographers. The news-people harass Scott as well, and he blames his wife for all the trouble.



Wanting to clear her name Tessa decides to launch her own investigation - to learn how Harry came to be in her house. To say more about the plot would be a spoiler.



The book is billed as a psychological thriller, but - in truth - there's not much suspense. Most readers will probably work out the 'secret' about Harry well before it's revealed in the story. Thus, interest in the book must be maintained by the characters, some of whom are more compelling and believable than others.

Tessa is an engaging protagonist, consumed by grief yet trying to get on with her life. She enjoys tending the plants at work (though it's a far cry from landscape architecture) and dreams of reconciling with Scott. Tessa is a loner, but gets on well with her boss - Ben Moretti - who runs 'Villa Moretti's' garden store and café.



For his part, Ben is a nice guy with a soft spot for Tessa. He provides her with coffee and cinnamon danish - or wine and lasagna - on occasion, and is always there when Tessa needs a hand. Ben's the hero of the book.

Tessa's husband Scott is an unsympathetic character.....a complete asshole. He's disdainful of Tessa's concerns, suggests she's mentally disturbed, and refuses to believe a word she says. When Tessa practically begs him to hear her out, he refuses. He's a totally unlikable person.



That said, I don't find Scott to be a credible character. Even an estranged husband wouldn't be that dismissive of his wife.....especially when she's going through such a trauma.

The journalist Carly Dean is annoying and intrusive, so she's quite realistic! Some of Carly's behavior, though, is outright illegal - and there should be consequences (IMO).

Other secondary characters add interest to the story, and keep the action moving.

I was disappointed with the mystery, which is easy to figure out.....with no major surprises. Also, one plot point is not satisfactorily resolved. Tessa repeatedly tries to discover why Harry's dad waited four days to report the child missing, but she never gets the answer. And I want to know!



In the end, I found this novel unsatisfying. However, I'm in the minority and many people love the book. So, if you find the premise intriguing, you might want to read the story and judge for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Shalini Boland) and the publisher (Bookouture) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Secondhand Souls: Grim Reaper #2" by Christopher Moore

This comic novel is the sequel to "A Dirty Job." As the story opens Charlie Asher - enemy of the forces of darkness who was killed in the last book - now inhabits a makeshift foot-high body made of mismatched animal parts and luncheon meats. Charlie and the other 'Death Merchants' of San Francisco, whose job is to collect souls from the dying and pass them on to new bodies, have been shirking their responsibilities. Thus there are thousands of loose souls in the city, a situation that opens a door to the Underworld and allows weird and murderous creatures to come through. These deadly creatures include a banshee - who warns of trouble and swipes a stun gun; The Morrigan - a trio of women demons who eat souls to become solid; And Lemon Fresh - an Underworld honcho who favors yellow suits and a yellow car. The Underworld eruption means that Charlie and his family/friends must once again fight wicked forces that threaten to destroy the world. The first order of business is to get Charlie a human body, which turns out to be Mike Sullivan - a well-built, nice-looking fellow whose job is to paint the Golden Gate Bridge. For various reasons Mike was planning to jump off the bridge anyway....so why not? Other members of Charlie's team include a Buddhist nun, a retired cop, a crisis-center counselor, a homeless man, a book store owner, and others. Also on hand is Charlie's seven year old potty-mouthed daughter Sophie (who happens to be the 'Great Death' who can kill with a word)..... ......and Sophie's two goggies (enormous black hellhounds). Sophie and the 'aunties' and 'grannies' who take care of her are some of the funniest characters in the story. Other entertaining characters are ghosts at the Golden Gate Bridge who have stories to tell and the 'squirrel people' (made of animal parts) that live under the Buddhist center. All kinds of kooky (and sometimes deadly) occurrences eventually lead to the story's climax, where Charlie's team goes head to head with the Underworld creatures. Though the story is a sequel it can be read as a standalone. I thought the book was fun and entertaining and I'd highly recommend it to readers who who like off-beat humor and out-of-the-box characters.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Cold Blood: A Detective Erika Foster Mystery" by Robert Bryndza

In this 5th book in the 'Detective Erika Foster' series, Erika is after a killer who dismembers victims. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

As the story opens, DCI Erika Foster and DI Kate Moss hurry to the scene when a suspicious suitcase washes up along the Thames River. The suitcase contains the body of a man who was beaten to death, decapitated, and dismembered. The man's stomach is found to contain fifty condoms filled with cocaine, apparently left there by the killer.



The crime is similar to an incident the week before, when the Thames chucked up a suitcase containing the body of a woman who was beaten, decapitated, and dismembered. The cases are clearly linked, and Erika's boss - Superintendent Melanie Hudson - wants to kick them both over to the narcotics unit. But Erika, who's like a bulldog when she gets a case, persuades Melanie to let her head the investigations.



This turns out to have unfortunate consequences for Erika. A leak from law enforcement circles results in gang-bangers trying to steal the cocaine-filled condoms, and Erika is seriously injured as a result.



During her recuperation the DCI visits relatives in her native Slovakia: her sister Lenka, brother-in-law Marek, and their three children. We see a softer side of Erika as she plays with her nephew and nieces, who adore her. I find it amusing that Marek works for the Slovakian mafia, but Erika turns a blind eye because 'she's not a copper in Slovakia.' LOL 😊



After Erika returns to London another dismembered body shows up, and the DCI gets back on the case. I enjoyed the police procedural details of the investigation, which point the detectives in the right direction.

In a parallel story line we follow Nina Hargraves and Max Kirkham, who meet while working at Santino's fish and chip shop. Eighteen-year-old Nina is immediately infatuated with Max, a 27-year-old 'bad boy' with a muscular body and a sexy facial scar. Unfortunately Max is also a murderous psychopath who draws Nina into his life of crime. Max bullies and abuses Nina, and 'persuades' her to commit serious felonies against her better instincts.



Nina and Max have an extensive storyline and we see them interact with their families; engage in a threesome; hit a pedestrian with their car; shack up in a small apartment; commit murders; carry out a double kidnapping; go on the run; and more.

When Erika's health permits, she works the homicide cases with her murder team; consults with the forensics unit; visits her boyfriend, DI James Peterson - who's recovering from a bullet wound; interacts with her former mentor, Commander Paul Marsh - who's being reinstated after a year-long suspension; and thinks about her unfulfilled life. Thus we get to know a little more about Erika - a capable detective who doesn't always use good judgment in her personal affairs. This has repercussions in the story.



The book ends with a dramatic climax that's satisfying and believable. (I think a certain villain should have suffered more....but mum's the word about that.)

I have a comment which isn't a criticism.....just an observation. I've read a LOT of books lately where abusive men mistreat females. I wish the gals would show more backbone and fight back. It's deflating to see them just quake and take it. 😌

This addition to the series is well-written - with a compelling plot - and I'd recommend it to readers who like mystery/thrillers....especially fans of Erika Foster.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Robert Bryndza), and the publisher (Bookouture) for a copy of the book. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel" by Lisa See

The story revolves around Lily and Snow Flower, two girls in rural China who - as seven-year-olds - become laogong, official lifelong best friends.



The girls have their feet bound on the same day (a horrifying practice in which a girl's feet are bound until the bones break and they can be contorted into a small shape), visit on occasion, and frequently write each other on a fan in a language called Nu Shu or women's writing - supposedly unreadable by men.


Nu Shu

As the girls grow up they marry, move to their husbands familial homes, have children, and face the many challenges of being a woman in 19th century China. Traditionally, women in China had no rights. Once their feet were bound girls were mostly confined to a 'woman's room' where they sewed and embroidered and so on, and - once married - were expected to obey their husbands and mothers-in-law and to produce sons.



In Chinese culture it seems wives jobs were to have sons, and this is almost all they were good for. The husbands, on the other hand, could apparently do whatever they liked - take concubines, beat their wives, discard their wives, etc.


Chinese man with concubines

From the first time they meet as children Lily and Snow Flower have a strong emotional bond. They share hopes and dreams and plan to be friends forever. Secrets in Snow Flower's life challenge the friendship but the girls' manage to get past this and maintain their bond.

Eventually Lily makes a fortunate marriage into an influential family with a decent husband while Snow Flower marries into a low family that treats her badly. Lily produces two strong sons while Snow Flower endures difficult pregnancies, miscarriages, and stillbirths - and when she finally has a son - he is a weakling who seems destined to die young. In time both women go on to produce more children, and when they have daughters, plan that the girls will also be laogong.


In China, a woman was expected to produce sons

Through it all - as Snow Flower's difficulties come to weigh heavily on her - Lily is constantly counseling her best friend to behave correctly, be a good wife, obey her husband, placate her mother-in-law, and continue to get pregnant. Events conspire to produce a crisis between the friends where their true feelings are dramatically exposed.



It was interesting to read about the Chinese traditions, lifestyles, and people of the time but the book is slow and meandering and the characters, though well-drawn, were not likable and hard to care about. In addition - for me - the description of how women were treated is hard to stomach. I was also reminded that the devaluation of women continues in China today - where female infants are often killed or discarded. This ensures that many men can't find women to marry. One might speculate that - with the one child policy - the Chinese government should have seen this coming.

For those interested in learning about 19th century China I'd recommend reading a non-fiction book and skipping this one.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Breakdown: An Alex Delaware Novel" by Jonathan Kellerman

In this 31st book in the long running 'Alex Delaware' series, the child psychologist once again helps his friend - LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis - solve crimes. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

As the story opens, Alex gets a call from his colleague.....



.....Dr. Lou Sherman. Sherman is treating a beautiful actress named Zelda Chase, whose bizarre actions have (temporarily) landed her in a mental health facility.



Alex is asked to evaluate Zelda's 5-year-old son, Ovid, to see whether mother and son should be reunited.



Ovid turns out to be a smart, sensible little boy who likes to build things with his toys. After Alex assesses Ovid - and meets Zelda - he determines that Ovid can live with his mom.



Skip ahead five years and Zelda - who's become an unemployed, homeless, broken shell of her former self.....



.....is found dead on the estate of a wealthy heiress.




Zelda has a history of wandering around Los Angeles and digging up the yards of random mansions - actions thought to be related to her mental illness. At first it looks like Zelda died from natural causes. However an autopsy and blood tests prove that Zelda was murdered - and Milo gets the case.



Alex assists because he's concerned about Ovid, whose whereabouts are unknown.

Before long two other incidents occur in the neighborhood where Zelda died: a cleaning lady is murdered and a housemaid disappears. Milo and Alex suspect that all these occurrences are related and question residents of the area as well as friends and relatives of the victims.



The investigators learn that Zelda frequently muttered the word 'mother'.....which turns out to be an important clue.

To obtain information that will help their investigations Alex and Milo proceed to do a spate of data mining: they read police reports; look at birth certificates and obituaries; study real estate purchases; look up wills and trusts; use Google and Google Earth; find people on Facebook.....and generally access a slew of public records. This section of the book is long, boring, adds little to the story, and feels like a lot of padding.



Alex and Milo use the data they collect - plus a helicopter - to identify suspects, get search warrants, and make arrests. I don't want to say more than that because of spoilers.

Some regular characters in the series make a brief appearance, including Alex's girlfriend Robin and the couple's French bulldog Blanche. As always in these stories, Milo is careless about his appearance and eats too much. In one scene, Milo raids Alex's fridge and makes himself an omelets with five eggs, a leftover steak, cooked chicken, and a load of veggies. (LOL)



This isn't one of Jonathan Kellerman's best books. The plot feels like a hodgepodge of random elements forced together and there are too many unmemorable minor characters - whose main function seems to be meeting Alex in coffee shops or restaurants. I did get a kick out of one secondary character - a slick lawyer who tries to convince Milo and Alex that up is down (figuratively). It was fun to see him try to weasel his way around the investigators.



Another quibble: Though Alex is supposedly very worried about Ovid, the psychologist seems to quit looking for the boy halfway through the book....and Ovid isn't mentioned again until the very end. This feels like careless plotting.

Unless you're determined to read Jonathan Kellerman's entire oeuvre, you can probably skip this book without missing much.

Rating: 2.5 stars