Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: Death Checked Out

Author:Leah Dobrinska

Publication: 6 December 2022

Format: Kindle eARC via NetGalley & Level Best Books

Amazon Description

When in doubt, go to the library…and solve the murder mystery!

Greta Plank, library director in the small, lakeside town of Larkspur, Wisconsin, prefers her rose-tinted glasses extra rosy, thank you very much. It’s how she copes with the hard stuff in life…like her sister’s death and her ex-boyfriend’s deception. But Greta’s cheery resolve takes a hit when she stumbles upon a dead body on her way home from work. What she assumes is a terrible accident Greta soon learns is something more sinister, and to make matters worse, a new-to-town detective cites her as not only his primary source for the case, but his top suspect.

To clear her name and save her reputation, Greta decides to do some off-the-books clue cataloging of her own. After all, asking questions is what she does best. With the help of her fellow librarians and her lawyer mom, Greta flips through the pages of the murder, uncovering details about Larkspur’s real estate market and the deceased’s rare book collection as she tries to understand why anyone would have authored his death.

With friends and neighbors stacking up as both victims and suspects, Greta must cross reference the facts and put a hold on her idyllic worldview if she wants to get the full story without paying the fine of her life.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

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"For heaven's sake! This is Larkspur, Wisconsin. No one here would want anyone else dead."

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Ohhhhhh Greta. Poor sweet annoyingly chipper Greta.

To be fair, this may not have been the best time to for me to read anything with a main character that has a "cheery resolve" and "idyllic worldview" ... but I'm trying to catch up on my neglected NetGalley shelf and this was next on the list (besides those way overdue for reviewing). Luckily, her finding a friend dead and being the only suspect the detective in charge is looking at means that not everything is perky-perky-perky and I could actually read the book without wanting to smack the cheeriness out of her ... much.

 

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"Miss Plank, one more thing."

Greta spun around too see Detective McHenry slip into the hallway behind her.

"What?" Her snappish tone was out of character, but she'd never been accused of murder before, so all bets were off.

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Sometimes "out of character" is exactly what's needed to make a character likeable ... and a book readable. It's almost as though Leah Dobrinska knew what she was doing when she was writing this. Greta's out of character moments and the amazing set of secondary characters (particularly Detective McHottie) has pretty much guaranteed that this is a series I will want to continue.

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She'd never seen the man show any shred of emotion beyond stoic, indifferent, and accusatory. His face completely transformed when he wasn't scowling, and Greta didn't hate it.

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Of course, if you've been around for a while you know how bad I am at finishing series ... or continuing series ... or remembering to ramble and share ... or .....

2023 will be better. Hopefully. In a lot of ways.

(I think the "56" was technically 57% ... hence the "ish")

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader

 

The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

 

Title: The Fleet Street Murders

Author: Charles Finch

Publication: 10 November 2009

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description: 

It's Christmas, 1866, and amateur sleuth Charles Lenox, recently engaged to his best friend, Lady Jane Grey, is happily celebrating the holiday in his Mayfair townhouse. Across London, however, two journalists have just met with violent deaths — one shot, one throttled. Lenox soon involves himself in the strange case, but must leave it behind to go north to Stirrington, where he is running for Parliament. Once there, he gets a further shock when Lady Jane sends him a letter whose contents may threaten their nuptials.

In London, the police apprehend two unlikely and unrelated murder suspects. From the start, Lenox has his doubts; the crimes, he is sure, are tied. But how? Racing back and forth between London and Stirrington, Lenox must negotiate the complexities of crime and politics, not to mention his imperiled engagement. But as the case mounts, Lenox learns that the person behind the murders may be closer to him — and his beloved — than he knows.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

 

I had every intention of reading this way back in 2015 after I read the first two. 

It was supposed to be part of that year's holiday read-a-thon.

I have no idea what happened.

I guess taking a seven year break between books wasn't all that detrimental since I instantly remembered who was who and fell in love all over again with Victorian England a la Charles Finch .... and particularly with Graham. I think I may even like him more than I do Lenox.

As a whole, this is quite probably the least festive of the books read this December. Yes, it begins on Christmas with two murders and some heavy holiday drinking by Charles and his brother, but that's really about it. The focus jumped back and forth here and there between the murders and the Parliamentary campaign and personal life issues. Not bad, but not what I was hoping for especially after a seven year wait.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two

of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two
from anywhere in the book currently being read.

 

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

Title: Hogfather

Author: Terry Pratchett

Publication: 13 October 2009 (reprint -- originally 1996)

Amazon Description

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, Hogswatchnight, when the Hogfather himself dons his red suit and climbs in his sleigh pulled by—of course—eight hogs, to shower gifts across Discworld. But when the fat man goes missing, someone has to sit in. It’s up to Death to take up the reigns—otherwise the sun won’t shine tomorrow . . . or ever again.

Who would want to harm Discworld's most beloved icon? Very few things are held sacred in this twisted, corrupt, heartless—and oddly familiar—universe, but the Hogfather is one of them. Yet here it is, Hogswatchnight, that most joyous and acquisitive of times, and the jolly, old, red-suited gift-giver has vanished without a trace. And there's something shady going on involving an uncommonly psychotic member of the Assassins' Guild and certain representatives of Ankh-Morpork's rather extensive criminal element. Suddenly Discworld's entire myth system is unraveling at an alarming rate. Drastic measures must be taken, which is why Death himself is taking up the reins of the fat man's vacated sleigh . . . which, in turn, has Death's level-headed granddaughter, Susan, racing to unravel the nasty, humbuggian mess before the holiday season goes straight to hell and takes everyone along with it.

 

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

I wish Terry Pratchett was still around so I could thank him for helping to save my sanity this week. Or at least for making the insanity of my life a little more enjoyable whenever I was able to get any reading done. I would give this a million and five stars if I could. Somehow I'm pretty sure he knows and is looking down with a smirk.

I know, not much of a ramble or review but it's all I've got in me right now. This may very well end up being a holiday tradition so maybe next year will be better ... in general and for rambling.

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader

 

Murder at the Snowed Inn by Imogen Plimp (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

 

Title: When Christmas Comes

Author: Imogen Plimp

Publication: 28 May 2020

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description: 

MURDER IN THE COZY SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS
And heart-warming romance to boot!

Heartbroken after her beloved husband’s death, Claire Andersen — proud foster mom, dog mom, and culinary artisan — decides to try her hand at a new beginning, renovating an old B&B in idyllic Galway, Maryland on the edge of the enchanted Appalachian Mountains. She knew her fresh start would be exciting, but she never expected it to be tinged with enthralling adventure, romance that’s sweet as sweet can be … and murder!

Adorable and resilient, former NYC chef Claire Andersen is no stranger to second chances. She and her stock trader husband George had decided long ago to trade in their life of ambition for one of quaint & quiet adventure — by opening up a cozy neighborhood coffee shoppe on the ground floor their Brooklyn brownstone. He was the coffee-connoisseur, she was the baker extraordinaire. Claire was so happy, she could just die. But fate had other plans — it came for her husband instead.

After George’s passing, Claire decides (with a nudge from her doting foster daughter Al) to trade in her life of brews and baked goods for breakfast — bed and breakfast, that is! And what better setting in which to start over than Galway, Maryland — a charming, snowy mountain town (and favorite cross-county ski destination of Claire’s youth).

All is well in Claire’s new B&B venture — and with her new oven constantly in use, it’s mouth-watering, even — until her first guest is murdered in-house. It’s not long until one of the suspects Claire questions about the murder winds up dead, too. Suddenly, Claire finds herself starting over yet again — and trading in her hostess hat (she’d just dusted it off, too!) for a secret life as an amateur sleuth.

But it’s not all B&B business and bodies: Claire also finds herself in the throes of not one, but two potential romances — each more toe-curling and butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing than the other.

Alongside her trusty new pal Evelyn (who’s feisty enough to make anyone blush) and her faithful bloodhound Rupert, Claire races the clock to get to the next victim — before the killer does. And she knows she’d better hurry. Because if the killer catches her first, she might run out of second chances.

Author's Note: This book contains a non-binary character whose preferred pronouns are they/them. If the notion of a non-binary character (and its resultant use of grammar) is offensive, then this book is not for you!

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

 

I'm always a bit wary over self-published books found on Kindle Unlimited, but this was on the list of "you might also like"s so I figured I would give it a shot. Besides, it looked like it might fit my whole murder and mayhem theme for December. I was pleasantly surprised at how wrapped up I became in the story and the characters and I'm going to have a difficult time holding off until Spring for the next seasonal murder.

 

Just so you know : I really love it when a book has a prologue. 

That means multiple Intros to share 💕

 

And it didn't seem fair to have multiple Intros without also having multiple Teasers....

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two

of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two
from anywhere in the book currently being read.

 

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: A Christmas Candy Killing

Author: Christina Romeril

Publication: 11 October 2022

Amazon Description

Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead discovers Jane's body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby.

The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two suspects: Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects — townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane.

When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year — and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

Amazon's description is pretty thorough so there's really no reason for me to recap. This was a great start to a new series and I'm already assuming that the second will be even better ... and I'm already hoping to nab it on NetGalley at some point. If not, I'll still get it because I really need to know what happens next the small town of Harriston, Montana.

"If being nosy was a criteria for murder in Harriston, half the town would be dead." 

Character development is always a good thing, but there was just sooooo much here that it almost diminished from the mystery part. The backgrounds of many did play a big part in the mystery, but .... I don't know .... it still felt a bit much somehow. A solid 4 star debut, though, with so many quotable bits that it took up multiple pages of my notebook and almost became an I'll Sleep When I've Read... post just so I could share more (I've already cheated once). 

 

When it came right down to it, though, I finished the book on Wednesday, I get more traffic on Fridays than I do any other day, and this is one I think a lot of the Friday crowd will enjoy.

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader

When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

Title: When Christmas Comes

Author: Andrew Klavan

Publication: 2 November 2021

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description: 

Colorful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. There are witnesses and her boyfriend Travis Blake confesses to the crime… but something doesn’t quite add up. Blake is a third generation Army Ranger, awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in Afghanistan—how could a beloved son of this tight-knit burgh commit such a grisly deed?

As a community of military families a few miles down the road from an Army base, no one in Sweet Haven wants to investigate a war hero like Blake, not even the top brass at the police department. In steps Cameron Winter, a rugged and lonesome English professor haunted by the ghosts of his own Christmas past, whose former lover asks him to prove Blake innocent. The Sweet Haven murder reverberates in his mind, echoing a horrific yuletide memory from his youth, and Winter knows there are darker powers at play here than a simple domestic dispute. If he can solve this small-town mystery, just maybe he can find peace from his inner demons as well.

The thirty-sixth novel by two-time Edgar Award winner Andrew Klavan, When Christmas Comes is a seasonal tale of tradition, family, and murder; its chilling twists are best experienced curled up beside a burning Yule log.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

Holiday melancholy and a murder mystery? 

Just what I needed. 

It was a bit rambly at times and I really wish we had more info on Winter's background, but hopefully that will come in future installments ... and I already have the next one waiting on my Kindle cloud.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two

of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two
from anywhere in the book currently being read.

 

I'll Sleep When I've Read... The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

 

Title: The Hunting Party

Author: Lucy Foley

Publication: 3 December 2018

Format: paperback (William Morrow reprint - 3 March 2020)

Amazon Description

Everyone's invited...everyone's a suspect...

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

The trip begins innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps, just as a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage says. But how close is too close?

DON'T BE LEFT OUT. JOIN THE PARTY NOW.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

I am pretty sure that the only upside to being abandoned on my birthday during what was supposed to be a great vacation weekend was that I had opted to throw The Hunting Party in my carry-on bag and was, in the absence of anything else to do but drink and wallow, able to read the whole thing in one very long and very stressful sitting.

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If you want to share whatever has kept you up past your bedtime because you just needed one more chapter ... or the entire book ... please comment! My TBR pile is already toppling, but I can always add more.

You Can Hide by Rebecca Zanetti (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: You Can Hide

Author: Rebecca Zanetti

Publication: 29 November 2022

Amazon Description

What do you do when a sociopath loves you? Rising star FBI profiler Laurel Snow is about to find out …
 
Calling Laurel Snow’s relationship with her newly discovered half-sister challenging is an understatement. Not only does Laurel suspect Abigail is behind the mysterious disappearance of their father, but her erratic behavior also makes life in Laurel’s small hometown interesting, to say the least. Still, when Abigail claims someone is now out to kill her, Laurel’s instinct to protect her sister goes into overdrive. Then things get even more dicey as dead bodies start turning up in the icy waters of the Sauk River and there’s only one connection among them: Abigail . . .
 
Having Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers bringing in those bodies with his dive team only complicates matters. Huck is as impulsive and fiery as Laurel is coolly analytical, which makes their alliance risky at best. But standing up to such a demonically brilliant killer is going to take all the help Laurel can get. Because Laurel’s attempt to save her troubled sister’s life might cost her own . . .

“Another jam-packed tale of action, intrigue, and endearingly awkward social interaction…Zanetti excels at marrying solid plot and rapid pacing with distinctive characterization.” – Publishers Weekly

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

Back in January I read my first Rebecca Zanetti -- You Can Run -- and I knew that I would be devouring the rest of the Laurel Snow series just as quickly as I could. Well, "just as quickly" wasn't as quickly as I had hoped. The second book hit my NetGalley shelf in August, the book was released a week and a half ago, and I'm just now losing myself in it .... but it has been well-worth the wait.

I'm currently on vacation and have a day with no other obligations so all I have had to worry about is food, beer, and what is going to happen next with Laurel and Huck and the latest serial killer wreaking havoc in the snowy northwest. It hasn't been the "festive" murder and mayhem I've been lining up for the month, but it does take place in January so it's not that  far off .... and there most definitely been murder and mayhem and sooooo many twists and turns that it all works. 

I thought that I had it figured out. There are so many ideal candidates for "whodunnit" and I didn't completely miss the mark .... but, yeah, I totally did.

And is Laurel's half-sister Abigail still "batshit crazy?" 

Well, yes .... yes, she is.

Am I totally going to grab the next installment once it hits NetGalley?

Well, yes .... yes, I am.

Am I going to scream from the hills "read these in order?"

Of course I am. Are you new here or something?

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader

Twas The Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost (Tuesday Intros & Teaser Tuesday)

 

Title: 'Twas The Knife Before Christmas

Author: Jacqueline Frost

Publication: 13 November 2018

Format: Kindle ebook

Amazon Description: 

It’s out of the cupcake tin, into the fire for Holly White’s best friend, Caroline. Can Holly clear Caroline’s name in time to go caroling?

When a body turns up in a larger-than-life candy bowl filled with peppermints on the town square, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect. Everyone in town, including Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of his death. Worse, a custom kitchen knife, engraved with Caroline's initials was found with him.

Now, just ten days before Christmas, Holly’s up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family’s Christmas tree farm and making enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle―and now she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the sheriff, and a personal stalker dressed as Santa Claus, and Holly’s ready to fly south until springtime.

But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas...even after she gains the true killer’s attention? Find out in ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s second pine-scented Christmas Tree Farm mystery.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

I finished Twelve Slays of Christmas Monday afternoon and decided that I really didn't want to wait to see what was going to happen to Holly and crew next. My library had the ebook available to borrow (it had just been returned) so I jumped on it and then jumped into it. I'm just about to start chapter eight out of twenty-five and I am so hooked that I'm guessing that I'll be finished by the time I get on the plane for my mini-vacay in about 27 hours. (I still have to sleep, pack and work, after all.) I am not at all looking forward to the next book in the series since it appears to be the last. Hopefully there will be more on the horizon!

Of course, it's so good I not only had to extend the Intro ... but I also couldn't make up my mind on what to include for the Teaser .... and only from the first seven chapters! 

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros" is from the first paragraph or two

of a book being read now (or in the future) and is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. 

"Teaser Tuesday" at The Purple Booker asks for a random line or two
from anywhere in the book currently being read.

Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

 

Title: Twelve Slays of Christmas

Author: Jacqueline Frost

Publication: 10 October 2017

Amazon Description

When Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime—exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm.

When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly’s father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn’t help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him.The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s jolly series debut.

Ramble-y Teaserish Stuff

I only just started reading this ... if by "reading" you count screenshotting the first paragraph and a random blip from the 56%. I haven't read any of the reviews that have been posted over the past five years since its release so basically all I know is what the Amazon description told me, what it says in those two captured paragraphs, and that it's taking the place on my immediate TBR of a few eARCs currently collecting dust on my NetGalley shelf. 

Sorry, publisher folks. 

When I requested the aforementioned languishing books (luckily I think there are only three), I had no idea that I was going to decide to devote the entire month to wintery/Christmasy murder and mayhem ... and none of the books on the shelf fit. This, however, looks like it might fit very well indeed and I quite look forward to finding some time to actually read it!

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Friday 56 (share a blurb from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice 

& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader