Review of "The Night Searchers: A Sharon McCone Mystery" by Marcia Muller

In this 30th book in the 'Sharon McCone' series, the private detective investigates two cases. One involves satanic rituals, and the other is a kidnapping. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a plus.

*****



San Francisco private detective Sharon McCone is asked to look into the case of Camilla and Jay Givens. It seems Camilla has been frightened by odd occurrences, the latest being a satanic ritual and baby sacrifice she witnessed at an abandoned building site.



Sharon wonders if Camilla needs a psychiatrist more than a detective, but becomes concerned when she realizes that Camilla is frightened of her husband Jay.

Meanwhile Sharon's husband Hy Ripinsky, head of an international security firm, is negotiating with the kidnappers of Van Hoffman, a muckety-muck who works for a government think tank.



The kidnappers threaten to extract state secrets from Hoffman unless they're paid $45,000 - which happens to be the exact amount the Hoffmans have in their savings account.



When Sharon goes to investigate the 'satanic building site' she learns that her case seems to be connected to Hy's. It turns out that Jay Givens and Van Hoffman both belong to "The Night Searchers", a group of people that go on evening scavenger hunts. On these hunts they follow cryptic clues hidden all over the city to find a (supposedly) valuable prize.



When Hy has to leave the country for business Sharon is recruited to help with the Hoffman situation. She learns that kidnappee Hoffman is an arrogant guy who's disliked by his family and about to lose his job. Simultaneously, Sharon's investigation of the Givens case reveals that Camilla may not be nuts after all.

Sharon recruits her nephew Mick to help her infiltrate the Night Searchers, a group that seems to contain a lot of weirdos and misfits.



Some of Sharon's other relatives and the usual members of her detective agency also help with the investigation. In addition, Sharon is assisted by people in Hy's firm, and when she has to hide, makes use of one of Hy's safe houses.

Unfortunately the safe house is a defunct roach-infested motel with no electricity or water.



Sharon perseveres and eventually uncovers information that helps resolve both the Givens and Hoffman situations, a resolution that some readers may see coming in advance.



Part of the pleasure of this series is visiting with the familiar characters, many of whom are on hand in this book. In the current story, some changes have occurred in the lives of Sharon and Hy; they've moved into a lovely new home after Sharon's old house was burned to the ground, and they're considering merging their agencies. The couple also promise each other an exotic vacation when they complete their current cases - something they both need.



This is an engaging mystery that most fans of the series will enjoy.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Thirst: A Harry Hole Mystery" by Jo Nesbo

In this eleventh book in the "Harry Hole" series, the Oslo police detective is chasing Valentin Gjertsen, a serial killer who's been Harry's nemesis for years. The book can be read as a standalone but readers familiar with the series will understand the characters' motivations better. ***** As the story opens, recovering alcoholic Harry Hole - who's probably the best detective in Oslo - has been on the wagon for three years. Harry is finally married to the love of his life, Rakel Fauke, and - because of a promise to Rakel - is teaching at the Police College rather than doing active detective work. Meanwhile, a sadistic killer is using Tinder to meet and murder women. After a Tinder meet-up, the women's throats are ripped out with 'iron dentures' and their blood is drunk. Psychologists conclude that the killer is suffering from 'vampirism'.....a compulsion to consume blood. Clues at one of the crime scenes point to a suspect named Valentin Gjertsen. Harry had caught Valentin years before and sent him to prison, but the killer escaped and had plastic surgery to make himself unrecognizable. It appears that Valentin is back in Oslo, killing women to satisfy his disgusting cravings. The psychopathic killer is also gleeful about matching wits with Harry once again. Police Chief Mikael Bellman - an adulterous, exploitative, prick who's being considered for Minister of Justice - wants the perp caught quickly.....to benefit his career. Thus Bellman blackmails Harry into taking a leave from teaching to chase the killer. Harry forms an 'adjunct detective squad' consisting of himself, an up-and-coming young police officer, and a psychologist who's writing a Ph.D. dissertation on vampirism. 3 While Harry is trying to catch the vampirist, other things are going on in the novel: Rakel gets very sick and has to be placed in a medical coma; Bellman's wife gets fed up with his womanizing and plans to get revenge; a mediocre cop extorts Bellman into making him a detective; a rapist called the fiancé - who forces his victims to give birth to his children - is getting released from jail; and more. The story turns out to be very complicated - maybe TOO complicated - and I almost needed a spreadsheet to keep up with the machinations of all the characters. Nevertheless this is a good book, recommended to mystery lovers.....especially fans of Harry Hole. Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Iron Gold: Red Rising Saga #4" by Pierce Brown

In Pierce Brown's 'Red Rising Trilogy' which precedes this book, humans - who had colonized the entire Solar System - were separated into caste-like Color categories. The ruling "Golds" were on top and the low-level "Reds" were on the bottom. The Reds were essentially slaves, who had short brutal lives in the underground mines of Mars. Other Color groups worked as medical personnel, soldiers, police, artists, sex workers, bureaucrats, household help, and so on.

The original trilogy revolves around Darrow, who was born a Red. After being surgically transformed to look like a Gold, Darrow infiltrated Gold society and - after rising through the ranks - became known as Darrow au Andromedus of Lykos.

Darrow eventually led a revolution that overthrew Gold rule. This led to the establishment of a democracy that would (theoretically) allow all Color groups to have equal rights. Thus, at the end of the trilogy I thought things in the Solar System were running down the right track.

NOT SO FAST!!

In 'Iron Gold' - the first book of Pierce Brown's new series -it's ten years after the revolution. A Solar Republic has been established, with an 'all Color' Senate on Luna (Earth's moon). The Senate debates and enacts legislation, with input from all sides. The head of the Senate, and elected Sovereign of the Republic, is Virginia au Augustus - a Gold who happens to be Darrow's wife. Darrow is the military leader of the Republic, and he's in big trouble.

After the revolution, Gold factions retained control of Mercury, Venus, and the Outer Rim. The Golds hate Darrow, whom they consider a Red usurper, and call him the 'Slave King.'

To wrest control of Mercury from the Golds, Darrow unleashed a massive bombing attack on the small planet - called an 'Iron Rain.' This was successful, but resulted in immeasurable damage and cost hundreds of millions of lives. The Senate didn't give permission for the Iron Rain and plans to put Darrow on trial. However, Darrow has no intention of allowing this to happen.

To further peace in the Solar System, Darrow feels compelled to free Venus, which is under the thumb of Gold leader Magnus au Grimmus, also known as the Ash Lord. Darrow plans to kill the Ash Lord, a feat that's almost impossible since Magnus never leaves his impregnable fortress home.

Darrow devises a complex plan to slay the Ash Lord, but he must first escape from Luna with his most loyal supporters.....leaving his wife and their son Pax behind. Darrow is torn between his duties as a warrior and his responsibilities as a husband and father, and this haunts him throughout the novel.

Though Darrow is an important protagonist in this new series, other characters also take center stage. These include:

Ephraim ti Horn, a Gray who fought for the revolution, but became disillusioned after his husband was brutally murdered. Grief-stricken and angry, Ephraim left the military to become a professional thief. Ephraim recruited a small group of helpers, and now accepts commissions to steal specific items such as artworks, weapons, and so on. When a vicious crime lord hires Ephraim to steal some very valuable commodities, big trouble ensues.

*****

Lyria of Lagalos, an 18-year-old Red girl who was liberated from the Martian mines after the rebellion. Lyria and her extended family were placed in a refugee camp on the surface of the planet, and promised assistance from the Republic. The administration didn't come through, however, and Lyria lost most of her family to a terrorist attack.

When the government finally sends troops to Mars, Lyria rescues an injured Gold warrior named Kavax au Telemanus from drowning. The wealthy man repays Lyria by taking her into his household on Luna, where she works as a servant. Uneducated, naïve, and lonely, Lyria falls under the influence of a dapper, charming older man. Once again, this leads to trouble.

*****

Lysander au Lune, a 20-year-old Gold who's the grandson of Octavia au Lune - the Sovereign who ruled the Empire before the rebellion. After his grandmother was killed, Lysander was taken under the wing of Cassius au Bellona - a Gold who was once Darrow's friend....but is now his mortal enemy.

As Lysander and Cassius are wandering around the Solar System in their armored craft they come upon a stranded ship in deep space. This leads to the rescue of a young Gold woman named Seraphina au Raa, who's the daughter of Romulus au Raa - leader of the Outer Rim. As a result, Lysander and Cassius - instead of being thanked - are made prisoners of Seraphina's mother, the merciless Dido au Raa.

Lysander and Cassius learn that Dido is planning a massive attack on the inner planets, to try to re-establish Gold rule. The newcomers can either assist with the assault.....or face the consequences. Tough call!

*****

The book is chock full of clever tactics, stealthy maneuvers, and deadly battles, and the characters have all manner of futuristic weapons and protective armor - which I picture as flexible 'Iron Man' suits. Pierce Brown populates the book with a large array of characters, including several favorites from the Red Rising Trilogy, such as: Sevro au Barca (Darrow's best friend); Victra au Barca (Sevro's wife); Dancer (Darrow's former mentor, now a powerful Senator); Kieran (Darrow's brother); Rhonna (Darrow's niece); and more.

The author wisely includes a list of characters at the beginning of the book, with thumbnail descriptions, which I found very useful. Pierce Brown also provides a map of the Solar System, with the location of the various factions, which helped me orient myself in the Solar Republic.

For me, 'Iron Gold' didn't stir the same positive emotions as the original trilogy. In the first three books I cheered on the abused Reds who were struggling for freedom and equality. In this new trilogy, the narcissistic, entitled Golds are scheming to re-take (what they think is) their rightful place in society.....and I'm not on board for that.

I almost wish Pierce Brown had just started a new series that takes place in a different world with new characters.

Nevertheless, the story is well-written, exciting, and suspenseful, and I recommend it to fans of science fiction/adventure tales. The book could be read as a standalone, but for maximum pleasure it's best to read the Red Rising Trilogy first.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Murder at the Puppy Fest: A Melanie Travis Cozy Mystery" by Laurien Berenson

In this 20th book in the 'Melanie Travis' series, the amateur sleuth investigates the suspicious death of a millionaire. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Melanie Travis is a wife, mother, and teacher whose family raises and shows standard poodles.



Melanie, her husband Sam, her sons Davey (12) and Kevin (3), and the family's five beautiful black standard poodles live in a big, sprawling house in Stamford, Connecticut.....where the dogs can run free in the backyard and the folks can fire up the grill to make dinner.

+9

As the book opens, Melanie and her son Davey are driving home with their groceries when they find an abandoned dog on the side of the road. Davey promptly names the spotted mutt 'Bud', and the pup soon becomes a member of the family - romping with the poodles and cuddling with young Kevin at night.



More canine adventures are in store for Melanie since she's been recruited to assist at Puppy Fest (akin to the Puppy Super Bowl), an annual televised event staged by the Puppy Posse Foundation - a dog shelter/dog adoption agency. Puppy Fest is always held at the mansion of Leo Brody, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist.



Brody is well known for his charitable donations AND colorful history: he's been married three times, has nine adult children, and a batch of spoiled teenage grandkids. Most of Brody's family shows up at Puppy Fest: a few to actually help out and most to ingratiate themselves with the head of the family.....who's been making noises about a new will.



Melanie is run ragged at Puppy Fest, because Brody's daughter Jane - who runs the Puppy Posse Foundation - sends her on errand after errand: find Caroline - who has to kiss the puppies for good luck; go the kitchen for bottled water; clean the dogs' exercise pens; carry the pups to the show arena; and so on.




When the games start - and Leo Brody is unexpectedly absent - Melanie is sent to look for the millionaire in his office.

Shockingly, Melanie finds Leo's dead body - with his 'friend' Becca Montague bending over him. The police discover that Leo died of anaphylactic shock after eating cookies containing peanuts, to which he's severely allergic. No one seems to know who brought the cookies or how Leo came to eat them.....as he's VERY CAREFUL about his food.



I understand the concept of cozy mysteries in which the police are incompetent and the amateur sleuth has to solve the crime. This book overdoes it though. It's completely unbelievable that, when a FAMOUS MILLIONAIRE dies from eating mysterious cookies - AND his EpiPen is missing from the desk drawer - the cops brush it off as an accident. REALLY? ARE THESE DETECTIVES BRAIN DEAD?



In any case, Brody's daughter, Libby - with the connivance of Melanie's pushy, overbearing Aunt Peg - gets Melanie to look into Leo's death. Melanie does this by visiting each of Brody's children in turn, and asking a few questions. That's the SUM TOTAL of the amateur detective's investigation. In the end the crime is solved.....but in a very unconvincing manner.

To be fair, this series centers more around dog shows than detective work. So, in the book Melanie's family attends two dog shows, where Davey is trying to accumulate points for his standard poodle Augie - so the dog can get a championship. Thus the reader gets a treatise about dog competitions and a description of Davey grooming Augie for the shows. This is a rather complicated business because standard poodles have elaborate 'hairstyles.' It was fun to read about the dog shows and the entertaining attendees.



The story has a large array of ancillary characters, including the many members of Leo Brody's extended family. The recurring characters are the most fun though. Three-year-old Kevin is adorable and funny.....and Aunt Peg is her usual annoying, A-type personality. Peg, who's a poodle expert and respected dog show judge, wants to send foundling Bud to the Puppy Posse Foundation (gasp!!).



While reading the book I was inspired to 'Google' standard poodles, so I could study how to achieve the 'look' that's appropriate for dog shows. This requires lots of combs, rubber bands, and hairspray!



I liked the side plots in the story, but this is supposed to be a cozy mystery - and it fails on that score. Nevertheless, readers looking for a few hours of light reading might enjoy the book. 

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review of "The Grave's a Fine and Private Place: A Flavia de Luce Mystery" by Alan Bradley

This is the ninth addition to the 'Flavia de Luce' series, set in 1950s England. You could read the book as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment (and minimum spoilers) the series is best read in order.

Flavia de Luce is a supremely self-confident twelve-year-old girl who's deeply interested in two things: chemistry and detective work. In her young life Flavia has frequently used her scientific expertise - and native smarts - to solve murders.



*****

As the book opens, Flavia is on holiday with her two older sisters, Ophelia (Feely) and Daphne (Daffy),





and the family manservant Dogger - who's been with the de Luce clan for years.



The little group is punting down a river near the village of Volesthorpe when Flavia, trailing her hand in the water, closes her fingers over what she thinks is a fish. Delighted, Flavia pulls up the catch.....only to discover it's the corpse of a young man.

The cadaver is deposited on the shore, and - while the authorities are being summoned - Flavia takes the opportunity to carefully examine the body. She also takes a mysterious scrap of paper from one of the pockets. This is standard operating procedure for Flavia, who's always hiding evidence from the police so she can solve cases first.



The dead man is identified as Orlando Whitbread, an up-and-coming actor with the local 'Puddle Lane Little Theater.'



Orlando is the protégé of Poppy Mandrill, a once famous actress who - after losing a leg - became a director.



The dead man is best known, however, for being the son of Canon George Whitbread of Volesthorpe's 'St. Mildred's-in-the-Marsh Church.' The Canon was hanged a few years before for poisoning three female parishioners at Holy Communion.



The town's police officer, Constable J.R. Otter, quickly calls Orlando's death a drowning.....and orders Flavia to stop her nosy probing. This only heightens Flavia's suspicions, since she's SURE Orlando was poisoned. Thus, Flavia continues to vigorously pursue her inquiries, with Dogger's invaluable help. Moreover, the amateur sleuth decides to re-investigate the case of Canon Whitbread....who she thinks might have been innocent.

As Flavia flits around Volesthorpe she meets the undertaker's son, Hob Nightingale - who provides valuable information, a helping hand, and a smidge of friendship that Flavia badly needs.



In previous books, Flavia has always been at odds with her sisters, and once even doused Feely's lipstick with poison ivy. However, the girls are more mature now, and on better terms. Thus, Flavia's inquiries are greatly assisted by Daffy's extensive knowledge of literature and poetry. As for Feely, she's still vain and self-absorbed, but she plays the organ beautifully at St. Mildred's-in-the-Marsh Church. In addition, Feely's fiancé plays an important part in the story.

In the course of the tale, Flavia makes important discoveries that put her in grave danger, but she eventually discovers the truth about everything.

I enjoyed the book, which has the usual mix of interesting characters, fun science, and a creative mystery. One chapter, though - where Flavia has a 'psychic vision' of the female parishioners being poisoned - is not credible and should have been left out (IMO).

I'd recommend the book to mystery lovers, especially fans of Flavia de Luce.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Deadly Stakes: An Ali Reynolds Mystery" by J.A. Jance

In this 8th book in the 'Ali Reynolds' series, the journalist/amateur sleuth investigates two murders. The novel can be read as a standalone.



*****

Beautiful divorcee Gemma Ralston, stabbed and paralyzed, dies a horrible slow death in the Arizona desert.



Teenager A.J. Sanders - looking for buried treasure as instructed in a secret letter from his ex-convict, absentee father - happens to be on hand at the end of Gemma's life. The teen texts for help then flees the scene of the crime.



Turns out Gemma was the grasping, money-hungry ex-wife of Alzheimer expert Dr. Chip Ralston. Before long, Chip and his new girlfriend Lynn Martinson become prime suspects, and are arrested for murder.



Soon afterward the body of A.J.'s dad, James Sanders, is found in the desert. Are the crimes connected?



Police detectives investigate as does journalist/amateur detective Ali Reynolds. Ali soon discovers that murdered ex-con James Sanders, a low-salary handyman, had been throwing around a lot of money lately. Did this lead to his death?



Familiar series characters make an appearance, including Ali's mom, boyfriend, cop friends, and computer hacker Stuart Ramey.



To me, extensive scenes of Stuart's data mining and illicit hacking are tedious but computer nerds may enjoy them. Ali carries on questioning persons of interest, has her life threatened by dangerous bad guys, and eventually solves the crime.

This is an okay escapist mystery, good for a few hours of light entertainment.

In this eighth book in the series journalist/amateur sleuth Ali Reynolds investigates two murders. The novel can be read as a standalone. ***** Beautiful divorcee Gemma Ralston, stabbed and paralyzed, dies a horrible slow death in the Arizona desert. Teenager A.J. Sanders - looking for buried treasure as instructed in a secret letter from his ex-convict, absentee father - happens to be on hand at the end of Gemma's life. The teen texts for help then flees the scene of the crime. Turns out Gemma was the grasping, money-hungry ex-wife of Alzheimer expert Dr. Chip Ralston. Before long, Chip and his new girlfriend Lynn Martinson become prime suspects, and are arrested for murder. Soon afterward the body of A.J.'s dad, James Sanders, is found in the desert. Are the crimes connected? Police detectives investigate as does journalist/amateur detective Ali Reynolds. Ali soon discovers that murdered ex-con James Sanders, a low-salary handyman, had been throwing around a lot of money lately. Did this lead to his death? Familiar series characters make an appearance, including Ali's mom, boyfriend, cop friends, and computer hacker Stuart Ramey. To me, extensive scenes of Stuart's data mining and illicit hacking are tedious but computer nerds may enjoy them. Ali carries on questioning persons of interest, has her life threatened by dangerous bad guys, and eventually solves the crime.

Rating: 3 stars