Review of "The Killing in the Cafe: A Fethering Cozy Mystery" by Simon Brett

In this 17th book in the 'Fethering' cozy mystery series, amateur gumshoes Carole and Jude try to save a cake shop and investigate a shooting on the beach. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Carole and Jude are the resident amateur sleuths of the English town of Fethering. Carole, a former government employee, is rather straight-laced while Jude - a self-styled healer/psychologist- is an easy going hippy-dippy type.



In this addition to the series, Polly's Cake Shop - a favorite Fethering café - is being sold. Some of the townsfolk, not wanting the site to become another Starbucks, form a "Save Polly's Cake Shop" action committee (SPCS).



Jude gets co-opted to be on the committee and the meetings are quite funny....and probably true to life.



There's a power struggle to chair the committee, arguments about where to hold the meetings, disagreements about what to do with Polly's (one free spirit wants it to be multi-use, with facilities for meditation), and discussions about how to run the café. Quintus Braithwaite - a full of himself retired military man who bullies his way into the chairmanship - usually manages to get his way.



The committee wastes a lot of donated money and tries to run the coffee shop as an all volunteer enterprise under the (not quite competent) auspices of Mrs. Braithwaite. This is all pretty entertaining.

While all this is going on Carole and Jude discover the decomposed body of a dead man - with a bullet in his head - on the Fethering beach.



It so happens that someone saw this body weeks before, in the storeroom of Polly's Cake Shop, but never bothered reporting it to the police. Jude was informed about this body at the time but also didn't tell the police. (Really?? Is this believable??) The body then disappears until it's washed up on the shore. Eventually, the dead man - a stranger to town - is identified, and Carole and Jude make it their business to find his connection to Fethering and try to reveal the murderer.

Carole and Jude question people, investigate, and eventually solve the crime. Most of the book, though, is devoted to the women's everyday lives. Carole is set to become a grandmother for the second time and spends a lot of time visiting/worrying about her son and pregnant daughter-in-law. Jude sees clients of her healing business. The gals go to the coffee shop and pub. Carole's dog Gulliver gets walkies. And so on.



There are interesting secondary characters in the book, including the SPCS committee members, the waitresses at Polly's Cake Shop, a local real estate developer who wants to build 'affordable housing' behind Polly's cafe, and various possible suspects.

Fans of the series would probably enjoy this quiet cozy mystery with familiar likable characters.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "NYPD RED 2: A Novel of Suspense" by James Patterson & Marshall Karp

In this 2nd book in the 'NYPD Red' series, the elite police unit is chasing the Hazmat Killer. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

In New York City a vigilante serial killer is murdering people who have apparently evaded justice. The killer dresses the victims in Hazmat suits and leaves them in public places, seemingly as a warning to other criminals.



The 'Hazmat Killer's' first few victims are known lowlifes who don't attract much attention. But when wealthy political aide Evelyn Parker-Steele is tortured and killed - and a video is posted of her confessing to the murder of her lesbian lover - the authorities, the public, and the media take notice.



NYPD RED, a police unit dedicated to investigating crimes that involve high profile people (celebrities, political operatives, wealthy people, etc.) is called in to apprehend the Hazmat Killer. Detectives Zach Gordon and Kylie MacDonald are given the case after the previously assigned detectives make almost no progress solving the crimes.



The case is particularly important politically because a mayoral election is scheduled for the next week. The current mayor will lose the election if the case isn't solved before then; on the other hand, his opponent will benefit by delaying the capture of the killer.



The various shenanigans that follow put the detectives in a difficult situation. To add to the pressure, another potential victim is kidnapped and will undoubtedly be killed if the Hazmat Killer isn't apprehended very soon.

The book is well-written, with an entertaining police-procedural plot and a variety of characters who add interest to the story including a mafia family, detectives, politicians, a priest, a drug addict, and so on. There's also a bit of romance: Zach is conflicted because - though he has a girlfriend - he's still not completely over his love affair with Kylie (his partner) a decade before.

This is an engaging book and a fast read that I'd recommend to fans of detective fiction.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Killer Cuts: A Dead-End Job Mystery" by Elaine Viets

In this 8th book in the 'Dead-End Job Mystery' series, Helen Hawthorne is working in a beauty shop. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Helen Hawthorne has to keep a low profile so her grasping ex-husband can't catch up with her and demand half her wages. So Helen changed her name and works at a series of low-key jobs. As the story opens Helen is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida working as a 'gofer' at a beauty salon.



The salon owner is Cuban immigrant Miguel Angel - who styles the local glitterati as well as wealthy women who can afford his fees (which start at $300 for a haircut).



One of Miguel Angel's clients is Honey, who's set to marry Kingman (King) Oden. King is an odious - but rich - slob and womanizer who drinks too much and makes a living by running a strip club and publishing gossip and secrets of high-profile people. Honey purposely got pregnant to get King to marry her without a prenup.



Cut to the wedding day: Helen and Miguel Angel are at King's mansion to do Honey's hair and makeup for the wedding. King wanders in, drunk and nude, and has a kerfuffle with Miguel Angel. The wedding proceeds, and during the reception King is found drowned in the mansion's pool. Miguel Angel becomes a person of interest to the police.



Helen, who is in the midst of planning her own wedding to her fiance Phil, is determined to prove that Miguel Angel is innocent. So Helen gets pictures and videos from the wedding photographers, questions people, looks for clues, and so on. There are plenty of suspects because King never met a person he couldn't insult or anger in some fashion.

The book has a slew of fun/eccentric characters including Helen's landlady Margery - a 76-year-old woman who constantly smokes and drinks and is partial to purple caftans and gladiator sandals; some of Margery's oddball friends. one of whom keeps a parrot on her shoulder; co-workers at Miguel Angel's salon; Helen's family; and others.





This is an entertaining cozy mystery that mixes Helen's murder investigation with her fun preparations for her wedding. Recommended for fans of cozies.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay" by J.K. Rowling

This screenplay for the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (a prequel to the Harry Potter books) is humorous and entertaining. The story: It's 1926 and Newt Scamander, a magizoologist, arrives in New York City with a case full of magical creatures. Inadvertently, Newt steps into a sea of trouble. The notorious dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has been causing havoc all over the world, raising fears that 'no-mags' (muggles) will learn there are witches and wizards in their midst. Thus New York based MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America)* is working day and night to keep magical occurrences below the radar. To this end, Tina Goldstein (a demoted Auror) is scouring the city for sorcerous miscreants. Several creatures escape from Newt's case and his 'Niffler' goes on a spree, stealing shiny objects and gold coins all over the place. While trying to catch the Niffler, Newt accidentally exchanges cases with Jacob Kowalski - a no-mag, would-be bakery shop owner - who's drawn into Newt's hijinks. Newt and Jacob attract the attention of Tina, who promptly arrests the duo and brings them to MACUSA headquarters. However, Newt has a deft hand with a wand - and needs to capture his escaped beasties - so the wizard soon engineers a 'prison break.' Meanwhile, no-mag 'preacher' Mary Lou Barebone is sure there are witches and wizards around, and wants to expose and exterminate them. To this end she founds an organization called the 'New Salem Philanthropic Society' and proceeds to makes speeches and hold demonstrations around the city. Add a mysterious black whirlwind that's destroying parts of New York and killing people.....and all the elements are in place for an exciting magical adventure. Other interesting characters in the story include: Newt's array of supernatural creatures. Tina Goldstein's sister Queenie - who's a legilimens (mind reader). Mary Lou Barebone's three adopted children, Credence, Chastity, and Modesty - who (supposedly) help with her witch-eradication campaign. Langdon Shaw, who's seen supernatural things and wants to tell the world; Langdon's brother, Senator Henry Shaw - a politically ambitious man who wants Langdon to go away and shut up; and more. I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and I completely enjoyed this screenplay. Highly recommended to fans of the boy wizard. *The term MACUSA (which I assume is a take-off on Yakusa) really cracked me up.

This screenplay for the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (a prequel to the Harry Potter books) is humorous and entertaining.

The story: It's 1926 and Newt Scamander, a magizoologist, arrives in New York City with a case full of magical creatures. Inadvertently, Newt steps into a sea of trouble.







The notorious dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has been causing havoc all over the world, raising fears that 'no-mags' (muggles) will learn there are witches and wizards in their midst.



Thus New York based MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America)* is working day and night to keep magical occurrences below the radar. To this end, Tina Goldstein (a demoted Auror) is scouring the city for sorcerous miscreants.



Several creatures escape from Newt's case and his 'Niffler' goes on a spree, stealing shiny objects and gold coins all over the place.



While trying to catch the Niffler, Newt accidentally exchanges cases with Jacob Kowalski - a no-mag, would-be bakery shop owner - who's drawn into Newt's hijinks.



Newt and Jacob attract the attention of Tina, who promptly arrests the duo and brings them to MACUSA headquarters. However, Newt has a deft hand with a wand - and needs to capture his escaped beasties - so the wizard soon engineers a 'prison break.'



Meanwhile, no-mag 'preacher' Mary Lou Barebone is sure there are witches and wizards around, and wants to expose and exterminate them. To this end she founds an organization called the 'New Salem Philanthropic Society' and proceeds to makes speeches and hold demonstrations around the city.



Add a mysterious black whirlwind that's destroying parts of New York and killing people.....and all the elements are in place for an exciting magical adventure.



Other interesting characters in the story include: Newt's array of supernatural creatures.







Tina Goldstein's sister Queenie - who's a legilimens (mind reader).



Mary Lou Barebone's three adopted children, Credence, Chastity, and Modesty - who (supposedly) help with her witch-eradication campaign.







Langdon Shaw, who's seen supernatural things and wants to tell the world; Langdon's brother, Senator Henry Shaw - a politically ambitious man who wants Langdon to go away and shut up; and more.





I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and I completely enjoyed this screenplay. Highly recommended to fans of the boy wizard.

*The term MACUSA (which I assume is a take-off on Yakusa) really cracked me up.

Rating: 4 stars