Brief Mention: A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR, Vermont Mystery from Catherine Bruns

The best part about this season's Catherine Bruns "cozy" mystery A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR is the plot -- Leila Khoury's family farm in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, offers a prosperous business that she returns to, when the unexpected death of her father draws her home. Sorting through threats, risks, and characters interested in taking over the action shows Bruns at her clever best.

Sadly, she makes a number of gaffes in describing sugaring (harvesting maple sap for syrup and sugar), and these can be very distracting for seasoned New England readers. Her first may be the most shocking: describing the existence of "several syrup producers in Vermont." Umm, it's hundreds ... more, if you count the smaller family setups. There is also no such thing as "sap making" (except inside the tree). And so on.

So, New Englanders and upstate New Yorkers, skip this one. The sugaring issues made me dubious about the way Bruns describes the Lebanese characters and cultures, but she has some family connections, it seems, and those may after all be on target. If you're good at passing over these pebbles in the path, then Bruns as usual spins a mystery laced with affection, effort, and a taste of young romance.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

 

New Veterinarian Mystery from Eileen Brady, LAST BUT UNLEASHED

What fun to have a new mystery from Eileen Brady, featuring "Dr. Kate" Turner and her busy animal care practice in upstate New York -- and the winter holiday setting of LAST BUT UNLEASHED is a great way to "make friends" with the snowy season ahead of us. After all, there's are plenty of reasons that New Year's Eve parties get wild, and one of them is sure to be the need to warm things up during the shortest days of the year.

For "Dr. Kate" the approach to the end of the year means trying to make a lasting decision about her boyfriend Luke, whose law-school journey has increasingly separated him from caring about her—even for their New Year's Eve date, he's not paying her much attention. In some ways, that's helpful, as Kate gets confirmation that this isn't the relationship she wants. She's actually getting much more affection from her dog ... her team at the veterinary practice ... her steady women friends ... and even the torn-up pitbull dumped on her snowy doorstep.

Unlike in many other "cozy" mysteries, Kate's approach to solving crimes doesn't depend on a close relationship with a police officer (even the local police chief can't make up his mind whether she's helpful or a terrible nuisance). But every now and then, like after the murder of an "organize-your-house" pro when Kate's found the body, she feels the need to give some extra invitation and calls Chief Garcia:

"Did I tell you I spoke to the janitor?"

"Yes. We've already interviewed him. He confirmed your statement." Now the chief sounded as if I'd interrupted his nap.

"Did I tell you about seeing the other janitor cleaning one of the meeting rooms? All I saw was their back, so it slipped my mind."

 ... "Do you remember anything about this other janitor? Height? Build? Did you catch a look at his face or even his profile?" Garcia asked in an urgent way.

I reminded him the whole thing was over in four or five seconds. "I'm not even sure it was a man. Why not interview them yourself?"

"Because, Dr. Turner, the community center only employs one janitor. That second person you saw might be the murderer."

After that, though, Kate keeps her observations to herself and her close friends—which of course is why she eventually needs to borrow an attack-trained Rottweiler to spend the night.

Brady is a pro, pacing her chapters briskly and weaving in the frustrations of adult romance with the puzzles of perpetrators. Although the book runs long for this subgenre -- about 400 pages -- all the threads come together for a very satisfying set of endings. Put this one on the winter TBR list, and pick up an extra for any dog-loving fellow reader. (The only non-charismatic critter in the whole story is an iguana.)

Note for those who always look at the author's website: Brady's is seriously out of date. Meanwhile, though, Poisoned Pen Press is doing a great job re-igniting her delightful series.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Well-Written Romantic Suspense from Colleen Coble, A STRANGER'S GAME

Real-life romance comes with doubts and concerns, not just amazing kisses — and seasoned author Colleen Coble presents that kind of well-rounded romance once again in her new book A STRANGER'S GAME.

The premise is new and interesting: Torie Bergstrom is actually the working daughter of a wealthy and powerful resort developer, and she doesn't often come back to the the Georgia property where her mother tragically died. But when her best friend also loses her life at the Jekyll Island resort, Torie slips into place under cover to dig into what's happened. 

Her charming meeting with a little girl and her dad, Joe Abbott, who are rescuing baby turtles, gives her a break from the tensions of grief, undercover work, and the actual security position she's stepped into. But unless she reveals the truth about herself to Joe, how can they build a friendship, let alone the romance that keeps tickling her heart?

Yet the minute Torie resumes her usual identity, she's got multiple risks in play: that Joe won't continue the friendship (or more), that the killer, if there is one, will target her, and that her relationship with her father may suffer.

Coble allows a reassuring glimpse of Joe's own integrity, losses, and motives by alternating the narrators of the book -- he and she both have their turns. Joe, for instance, is getting to know Torie when she drops some Latin on him:

"Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur," Torie said.

Joe blinked, then grinned. "I took Latin too. 'One's friends are known in the hour of need.'"

A pleasant warmth spread from his midsection at the realization she considered him a friend. It was a start.

Torie in turn gets to do some questioning on her own, with her father:

She stared into his blue eyes. "Why did you never remarry, Dad? You must have had plenty of opportunities over the years. Mom's been gone eighteen years."

He moved restlessly. "I've always been wary of anyone with an agenda. And too many women who flirt only want what my money and position will bring. They never look past the name to really see me."

"That's exactly how I feel! I didn't know you had the same fears."

In highly satisfying scenes, with just enough risk and plenty of insight, Torie and Joe learn everything they need, in order to figure out who's the criminal, and why—and what their own future may be.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here. 

Clever and Enjoyable Regency Mystery, TWILIGHT AT MOORINGTON CROSS by Abigail Wilson

At the opening of TWILIGHT AT MOORINGTON CROSS, many a mystery reader might guess at villainy: Mrs. Amelia Pembroke, a lovely young widow, is a long-term patient at Cluett's Mesmeric Hospital in Regency-period England. She's not getting better — her ailment involves falling asleep at moments entirely outside her control, along with some sort of seizure disorder. Mesmerism, of course, is another term for hypnotism; Amelia's not the only long-term patient here who seems stuck.

When the handsome young solicitor Ewan Hawkins arrives to help the hospital leader with a change to his will, the bequest directly concerns Amelia. To her astonishment, she is the main beneficiary of that will. But the conditions being pinned to this are, to say the least, astonishing: The widow must marry one of two candidates that Mr. Cluett has proposed, or else fail to receive the money. In fact, not only will she herself be tossed from her home at the hospital if she fails to make that marriage -- but the substantial inheritance will go to charity instead.

Amelia is appalled. The solicitor doesn't much sympathize -- he thinks Mr. Cluett was generous in giving her a choice of willing husbands, since a woman on her own couldn't possibly handle the bequest.

So who is the villain here? Is it Mr. Cluett, whose treatments have failed? Is it the solicitor, or one of the rather odd potential husbands? Could it be the long-term nurse who worked with the doctor? And which of these is responsible for the abrupt death, perhaps by murder, of Mr. Cluett as soon as an explanation of the will has been made?

The only people Amelia is sure are on her side are the other long-term patients, who have become her best friends. But when she accepts the young solicitor, Mr. Hawkins, as an ally in a suddenly ominously threatening institution, he's not as confident about any of the others:

I nodded and turned to leave but he grasped my arm: "Mrs. Pembroke, promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"I need you to be careful."

"Of course I will, but—"

His fingers tightened. "I mean a great deal more so than usual. Lock your doors tonight. You might have a maid pull a trundle into [the neighboring] room if possible. And above everything else, don't trust anyone. Not until we know exactly who might be involved in Mr. Cluett's death."

Abigail Wilson's writing is smooth and deft, and her plot threads and red herrings are carefully placed. The story is lightly backed by Regency customs, and more so by the legalities of widowhood at the time, laid out effectively and without fuss. Both action and sleuthing are lively and believable, and the pace is well chosen.

All in all, TWILIGHT AT MOORINGTON CROSS presents a well-crafted romantic Regency mystery that's a delight to read, and may well lure readers to Wilson's other four titles in the same entertaining genre.

Released today under the Thomas Nelson imprint of HarperCollins.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here. 

Brief Mention: FAREWELL BLUES from Maggie Robinson, Series Finale

There are plenty of mentions that FAREWELL BLUES is the end of Maggie Robinson's light-hearted and romantic Lady Adelaide series (including on the author's website), so this is not really a spoiler! This is the fourth book of these 1920s mysteries, with paranormal humor provided by Lady Adelaide's late husband Rupert, assigned to help her solve crimes and resolve her personal life, as a way to recover from his own sins and finally make it to heaven.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Lady Adelaide books has been the protagonist's gradual realization that she may become involved with a man from entirely outside her social "set." Not only is Inspector Devand Hunter a police officer—he's also of Indian heritage and London's not ready for such a romance.

The casual racism repeatedly demonstrated in the series is lightened here by Dev narrating some of the chapters, and by the entertainment value of Rupert's ability to pop in and out of scenes, as well as to pry into Lady Adelaide's thoughts. Series fans will want to discover how Robinson wraps up the series, including her three (!) epilogues. 

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Delicious Ice Cream-Oriented Mystery Series Debut: PINT OF NO RETURN, Dana Mentink

This series debut from seasoned (award-winning) romance author Dana Mentink is a must for the summer TBR stack, perfect for beach reading or one of those rainy afternoons when you're stuck inside the house or cabin. The premise of PINT OF NO RETURN is delightful: Trinidad Jones had no intention of relocating to a small town in Oregon, but her beloved husband (now ex) turned out to be an embezzler with multiple wives ... and the only thing solid he provided her with, on his way to prison, was a storefront. Dipping into her dreams, she's opening the Shimmy and Shake Shop and scooping up ginormous festive shakes with "the works" for her hoped-for clientele.

Ramping the suspense right away is the presence of the other two wives in town! And Trinidad's not exactly an easy fit into Oregon culture ... with her grandfather Papa Luis suggesting, from the other end of the country, that she's way out of her culture and her comfort zone.

Good giggles and guffaws are packed into this cleverly crafted cozy, starting when Trinidad finds the local popcorn store owner murdered and realizes the investigating police chief is the older sister of her ex. No filter here, as she squeaks out, "The sister who stole cars?"

And here's the heart of this heart-warming mystery:

"People change, ma'am," the chief said after a beat. "I don't steal cars anymore. The Army set me on the straight and narrow. They're pretty good at helping a person reconfigure their priorities." She cocked her chin. "I've met Juliette and Bonnie. I didn't plan on getting to know the remaining ex-wife at a murder scene."

Ice cream, romance, an adorable service dog named Noodles ... this charmer has lots to enjoy, and with a seasoned author spilling the dialogue and slipping the scenes into place, it's a pleasure to read. The interactions between Trinidad and the chief also highlight the reality of amateur sleuthing:

[Trinidad] felt a flicker of anger. "I don't think you're exactly on Juliette's side. You sent her to jail."

The chief's eyes were cold. "The evidence sent her to jail, and you shutting me out might have just cost us information that could have cleared her. Did you think of that while you were playing detective?"

Highly recommended. And I'll be watching for more from Dana Mentink, who clearly knows both human nature and how ordinary people pull up their courage and help each other at the toughest of times.

From Poisoned Pen Press, on sale May 25.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Deadly Envy in a Science Lab, in Cara Putman's LETHAL INTENT

What happens when you blend a legal issue with a cancer lab, terribly ill children, and faith-based romance? Answer: a suspense novel with intriguing layers of complexity, from long-time "romantic legal thriller" author Cara Putman, published by Thomas Nelson.

When attorney Caroline Bragg steps into a high-pressure job at a biotechnology firm developing cells that may fight children's cancer, she's got two huge things going for her: experience in the patent process and government regulations, and an abiding inner joy that has a lot to do with how Brandon Lancaster is telling her he wants her in his life always.

Her first challenge in the new job is to assert herself: Petite and not grounded in the science itself, she could be easily mistaken for a beginner. When the scientists try to rush into treatment without the proper protocols, though, she puts on the brakes -- and suddenly she's not as welcome as five minutes before, since the people around her really want to save children, not wait for the approved channels.

Making things more complicated in LETHAL INTENT, there's more going on under the surface of the biotech company, and the author slowly gives a reveal of a malicious but unidentified person willing to sacrifice those very children, for revenge on the company. Caroline's so busy trying to keep her ambitious boss on the legal straight and narrow that she's late in realizing there's more than accidental mischief happening.

Strikingly, she's also pinned by nondisclosure requirements, once she realizes her boyfriend is an investor in the company she's working for. Here's a sample of Putman's romantic writing from Caroline's point of view about Brandon:

Caroline pulled up the pictures and scrolled through several shots. She'd have a closer look later, but she liked what she saw: a man who looked at her with adoration. She could get used to it and wanted to bottle the moment so she could pull it out when she felt alone.

When te nights were dark and she couldn't sleep.

She wanted to remember what it felt like to have his hand covering hers.

Remember the feeling of security and lent strength.

Remember that he found her worth loving.

LETHAL INTENT will suit romance readers more than standard mystery fans, since although Caroline is strong and makes great decisions, she really has little chance to figure out what's going wrong in the treatment trials and the company's action, because Putman frames the book with a secret villain's voice and little in the way of outright clues. Still, it's a good read for a winter evening, sweet and strong at once, and very smoothly written.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Oceanfront Cozy with Romance, CLOSELY HARBORED SECRETS by Bree Baker

Bree Baker's "Seaside Café Mystery" series from Poisoned Pen Press just reached book 5 with CLOSELY HARBORED SECRETS. This author's writing keeps getting smoother, and her plots, entangled with strands of romance, offer a strong amateur sleuth in action.

This time, Everly Swan's involvement in a murder begins at her seaside island town's annual ghost walk, when she discovers the dying body of an avid map collector and possible opponent of her great aunts -- who has scraped Everly's name into the sand with her final strength. Is it an accusation, or a call for Everly to solve the crime?

Of course, she's not gaining popularity by stepping into such trouble, and this time she has more at stake than ever, since her beloved great aunt Fran is running for mayor of the town of Charm. Any bad press for Everly could cost Aunt Fran the election.

Top that off with the huge complications she's facing in her romantic life with Detective Grady Hays and his family, and Everly's got tension in every direction. But also a lot of friendship and affection, sweetening the mystery in Baker's accustomed style.

Dixie's murder had shaken me. I'd already seen too many deaths since my return to the island, and Dixie had carved my name into the ground with her final breaths. I had no idea how I'd heard the scratching over the sound of the wind, but the whole night had felt somehow surreal. Right down to the doppelganger flapper who'd let me to Dixie's office and pointed me to the book of island families on her desk. All in all, I was freaked out, feeling a tornado of emotions and wholly exhausted.

Baker delicately hints at possible ghostly involvement, and gives Everly's 170-year-old house a spooky role in the increasing level of threat targeting this entrepreneur. And what about that curse on all the romances in her family—does that mean she should walk away from Grady ... if he doesn't walk away from her first?

This charming Southern cozy wraps up with three of Everly's recipes, in the tradition of the genre. Series readers will likely turn to those pages first! But this is an easy book to step into without reading the other four titles first, and makes a delightful break from the stresses of ordinary life.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

London Historical Mystery, MURDER AT QUEEN'S LANDING from Andrea Penrose

[Originally published in New York Journal of Books]

“Murder at Queen’s Landing is a high-paced adventure with a light feathering of attraction between the protagonists. After all, it’s hard to take time for courting when you’re protecting the people you care for, in the face of a powerful criminal mastermind.”

This is the fourth in Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford & Sloane historical mystery series, as Lady Charlotte Sloane takes the bold step of re-entering London society in Regency England. Her partner in crime solving, Lord Wrexford, has a private laboratory for his chemical research, as well as wealth and grand homes. His description of Charlotte is “A lady of infinite textures, woven of complexities and conflicts … After all, she clothed herself in quicksilver shadows.”

But in Murder at Queen’s Landing, to resume her position in polite society, Charlotte needs to set down her sardonic quill, and instead summon courage for a new venue:

“Lady Charlotte Sloane slowed her steps and drew a deep breath as she eyed the ornate archway leading into the ballroom. Music floated out of the open doors, the notes twirling a merry dance with the effervescent laughter ad discreet clink of champagne glasses … It was the stuff of every wellborn girl’s dreams … To her horror, Charlotte felt a prickling against her eyelids. Damnation—I ran all the way to Italy to escape living in just such a gilded cage.”

Fortunately, even a society ball can be a source of intrigue, and soon Charlotte realizes that her friend Lady Cordelia, who in turn is a brilliant mathematician, is involved in a murderous plot. But is she responsible for the death? What about Lady Cordelia’s brother Woodbridge? When these siblings vanish amid secrets and revelations surrounding a high-finance trading scheme, even Charlotte has grave doubts.

Lord Wrexford, in turn, has the benefit of a masculine world of assistants like his valet Tyler, and worldly insights. When he considers the banking list unearthed, he’s more prone to deep thought:

“He drew in a pensive breath. And released it in a low snort. ‘Is it just me, or do you also smell a rat?’

Tyler took a sip of his brandy. ‘The odor is definitely teasing at the nostrils.’ He turned the glass in his hands. ‘But if it was planted, who did it? And why?’”

What neither of these high-born sleuths could have guessed is that the complexities of finance would pit them against some of the most potent forces of England, including the government-shielded East India Company. When this direction becomes clear, Lord Wrexford’s valet admits, “Unlike our previous opponents, the East India Company has both the resources and the power to crush anyone who stands in the way of their plans.”

Each sleuth must recruit team members to tackle this, and Charlotte’s own, whether garbed in silks or recruited from the boys of the street, bring passionate loyalty and insider information to the tasks ahead. In addition, Charlotte’s secret livelihood, crafting clever and cutting cartoons about the figures around her, can slice into even the realms of power.

Penrose’s writing is tight, smooth, the experienced narrative of a seasoned storyteller. Although her back list includes many a Regency romance, Murder at Queen’s Landing is a high-paced adventure with a light feathering of attraction between the protagonists. After all, it’s hard to take time for courting when you’re protecting the people you care for, in the face of a powerful criminal mastermind.

However, the book’s ending hints not only at sequels to come, but at a deeper commitment between the daring and dashing investigators—one adventure at a time.

PS: Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

IT CANNOLI BE MURDER, Second Italian Chef Mystery from Catherine Bruns

Author of several series of lively "amateur sleuth" mysteries, Catherine Bruns spins a quick story with ample clues, a few red herrings, plenty of disasters—and above all, friendship and affection.

For IT CANNOLI BE MURDER, Bruns takes the subgenres of cozy recipe mystery and bookstore mystery and cleverly melds them. Long-time devoted Italian chef Tessa Esposito is about to open her own Italian restaurant, close to the bookstore owned by her devoted cousin Gabby. Although Tess has her own challenges—she's newly widowed (see the preceding book Penne Dreadful) and isn't fully confident in her agreement with her landlord, let alone all the finances and staff management drowning her—her loyalty to Gabby is unquestioned. So much so that when Gabby drops in with a "thank you gift," Tess can't think why.

Mystified, I grabbed it from her outstretched hands. "Thank you for what?"

She shot me a look of disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You've been crazy busy but are still going out of your way to make goodies for my book signing tomorrow night. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

...It was a beige straw mat for the restaurant's front porch with a border of tomatoes around the words, "Welcome to Anything's Pastable." That was the name I'd chose for my restaurant ... Everyone had thought it was cute and especially fitting, given the blows life had dealt me lately.

Tess is determined to help out her cousin. For Gabby, business survival depends on the book signing going well, including pandering to the prickly hotshot author arriving and to his even more difficult wife—and, it turns out, would-be girlfriend. When the signing event ends in murder and Tess's cannoli recipe is held suspect, both women are in so much trouble that taking risks and nosing into the killer's identity and motive seem to make perfect sense. As Tess puts it, "Gabby's situation was far worse than mine ... Unless the killer was found immediately, her business was sure to suffer."

Although it's too soon after her husband's death for Tess to consider romance seriously, Bruns gives enough of a taste to keep this book solidly in the romantic subgenre, too. She plays fair with the clues, and an astute reader has a chance to figure out the motive, means, opportunity, and murderer just before Tess does, despite the clever twists along the way.

With Italian recipes at the end, ranging from cannoli and biscotti to a Bolognese sauce, IT CANNOLI BE MURDER is both a light and enjoyable addition to the summer's reading stack, and an ideal gift for a kitchen-obsessed friend. New this week, from the Poisoned Pen Press imprint of Sourcebooks.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Brief Mention: Colleen Coble, ONE LITTLE LIE, Romantic Suspense

Colleen Coble is an astonishingly prolific author, mostly of romantic suspense with a thread of church participation. In ONE LITTLE LIE, which seems to be the first book of a new series for her -- the Pelican Harbor Series -- Coble brings us Jane Hardy, newly appointed interim sheriff of a small waterfront town in Alabama. She's filling the shoes of her father, who's retired, but she gets the job unexpectedly and with no time to catch up.

Almost immediately, she's caught in a murder investigation, one that becomes increasingly creepy as at least one stalker seems to be involved. Coble's switches of viewpoint keep the reader more aware of the threat level than Jane Hardy is, which doesn't always work well in terms of plot twists and surprises. Everyone seems to be dropping hints all the time. On the other hand, this author is a master of suspense, especially of romantic suspense. Characters wonder about each other's thoughts and feelings all the time, even as danger heads their way.

Because it's clear from the start that Jane's past involves a cult, other aspects of the suspense are pretty obvious ... power struggles of the past will soon catch hold of her.

Whose lie is the dangerous one? Jane's? Her father's? The murderer's? Or even the premise of the cult itself?

If you enjoy feeling on edge all the way through a work of suspense, this one will suit you, while laying the groundwork for a sequel that's clearly in the pipeline.  Thomas Nelson released the book on March 3.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.   

Yummy Debut for a New Series from Denise Swanson, TART OF DARKNESS

I'm late discovering Denise Swanson -- her mysteries are already well known, and she's written many! Last September she released the first in a new series, "Welcome Back to Scumble River," jump-starting an existing run of books but with fresh energy (the first title was Dead in the Water).

Now she's started a second (!) new series, and this one is has many yummy moments. The series is called "Chef to Go" and it opens with TART OF DARKNESS. Count on Swanson, a true pro in the "amateur sleuth" mystery genre, to keep the red herrings splashing and suspenseful twists multiplying. In the classic mode of, say, an Agatha Christie mystery, the tension for the entrepreneur Dani Sloan is steady from the start, but not creepy in any sense ... you won't need to check that you locked the door, or turn on extra lights. Instead, with Dani, readers can chase the clues and try to figure the killer a few heartbeats ahead of Dani's own discovery.

The opening situation fits plenty of daring young entrepreneurs today: Dani's quit her corporate job, lucked into an inherited house practically perfect for a cooking-related business, and scraped up just enough money to get her catering business launched. Except it's a bit short after all, so when three young women attending the nearby college propose to bunk in her spare rooms, contribute rent, and provide kitchen and house maintenance labor, Dani's got an ideal solution. If, of course, the "girls" behave.

She's not much older than they are, but with collaboration from one of their uncles -- a charming unmarried security pro on the campus -- things seem to be working out.

That is, until her first major catering job, for a wealthy and spoiled young woman the same age as her boarders, Regina Bourne, turns dangerous, when a drunk knocks over a bamboo torch and lights the buffet table coverings on fire:

Dani's pulse raced, and for an instant, she froze as the dried grass fiber blazed. Then instinct kicked in and she dropped to her knees. Searching under the table for the fire extinguisher she kept handy anytime she used Sterno to keep the food in her chafing dishes warm, she nearly cried in releif when her fingers brushed the metal canister.

Yelling for everyone to stay back, Dani held her breath and sprayed the flames until the foam ran out. Shakily, she put the extinguisher down and sucked air into her starving lungs.

Before she could catch her breath, Regina marched up to her and demanded, "Clear off this table, and get new trays of desserts out here right now."

Dani blinked. She'd been expecting Regina to thank her, not issue impossible orders.

But that's Regina's way -- so when Regina turns up murdered, there are plenty of suspects with motive to sort through. And Dani needs to make sure the crime is quickly solved, before word of mouth and mean rumors can take away her barely opened business in the community.

It's a pleasure to ride along with Swanson's tight plot and smooth writing, with a side plot (of course) of mild romance. She's a truly skilled mystery author, and the suspense rises just high enough to make the pages turn quickly, while avoiding anything truly gruesome. I enjoyed every page -- and by my favorite test of a book, the number of people I'd like to give a copy to, this gets a very high score!

Sourcebooks Landmark is the publisher, and knowing this is the start of a series makes the slight awkwardness at the end into a promise of plot twists to come in the second title. I'm marking the series as "get the next one ASAP." By the way, there are no recipes included -- something of a surprise for a "foodie" mystery -- but there are plenty on Swanson's website.

PS:  Looking for more mystery reviews, from cozy to very dark? Browse the Kingdom Books mysteries review blog here.

Suspense and Sleuthing in SHADOWS ON A MORNING IN MAINE, Lea Wait

The latest in the "Antique Print" mysteries from Maine author Lea Wait makes its appearance on September 9, and it's a great way to welcome the new season! Maggie Summer, a dealer in antique prints, has just made the big changes she's struggled toward over the course of the earlier books -- taking a sabbatical from teaching in New Jersey, moving to Maine, being engaged to Will Brewer, and approved to finally adopt a daughter (as a single mom). But as the title SHADOWS ON A MORNING IN MAINE hints, none of this will come easily -- and there's risk and danger ahead.

Wait writes at her strongest and best in this engrossing page-turner, threatening Maggie's dreamed-of life (and even her safety) with three forceful currents of suspense: Now that an adoption requires the child's consent, the social workers' positive opinion, plus the parent's fitness for the challenge, will Maggie be able to persuade the wounded and defensive nine-year-old Brook that this single-parent-with strings household is where Brook can be happy in a "forever" home? Second, now that her first priority is (she hopes) her new daughter, can Maggie still be the partner that Will needs and wants (and what's up with the secret from his past that he finally reveals)? And third -- most vital for Wait's skillful answer to the burning question of this genre, why would Maggie risk her life sleuthing -- if someone in the area is deliberately killing seals, the animals that represent "home" to young Brook, can Maggie stop the destruction before her almost-daughter hears about it and refuses Maggie's affection?

By adopting a nine-year-old, a child adoption agencies classified as "older," she's missed the fun of decorating a nursery or toddler's room.

But Brook still had plenty of growing up to do.

Maggie stared at the seal prints she'd liked so much. She'd wait to show them to Brook until she was sure Waymouth's seal killer had been caught. Brook didn't need to be reminded of what she'd seen at the high-tide mark.

Of course, there's also the problem of this vulnerable girl discovering that Maggie herself has been an amateur sleuth around other deaths in the community. Never has the investigation habit looked like such a risky one!

As Wait ties together all the issues confronting Maggie and her growing "family of choice" (including Will's Aunt Nettie), she also shows the choices that lead to both solving the crime and working out the dilemmas of love and community -- with quintessential Maine flavor. There's plenty of traditional "mystery" involved to keep the pages flying, and, most of all, there's a whole family work of commitment and affection to pull together.

Readers of earlier books in this series (this is number 8) will especially appreciate Maggie's efforts and achievements -- but you can jump right into this one and enjoy an exciting adventure, and then catch up on some of the others when you have time. There's also the allure of peeking into Wait's own life a little -- explore her website and discover her deep and extensive personal connection to adopting a daughter who needs a committed mom. From Perseverance Press, with a classic Maine cover as well. Happy reading!

THE SAINTS OF THE LOST AND FOUND, T. M. Causey, Serial Murder Plus Paranormal Plus Powerful Storytelling

When seasoned storyteller Toni McGee Causey tugged on her T. M. Causey persona for THE SAINTS OF THE LOST AND FOUND, she chose to go dark -- very dark. And turning her experience in "romantic suspense" Southern novels toward an FBI hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana has put her onto the terrain of the "big writers" of suspense thrillers. Take the loneliness of Lee Child's Jack Reacher, add the determination of Jon Land's Caitlin Strong, and for the third strand, let loose the diabolical wickedness of the killers in, say, Jeffery Deaver's Lincolm Rhyme books. Yes, that seems about right.

But let's start at the beginning of the book, with Avery Broussard riding a but to her former hometown in Louisiana, hoping not to be recognized. The hope is soon dashed, because Avery's been on all the major newspaper front pages for a long time. Her pyschic gift, the ability -- or curse -- of seeing what people have lost, and sometimes where to find those items, pushed her into volunteering as a consultant for the FBI. Sure, the professionals were skeptical, but the FBI agent in charge of the Little Princess Killer cases, Hank, tested Avery to the max and chose to work with her, defend her, protect her as she gave herself to the investigations.

Now Avery's on the run from even Hank. Her most recent efforts to find the small girls that the Little Princess Killer abducts worked out in one sense -- she found the child -- but too late to save the girl's life, by a mere couple of hours. In despair, and blaming herself for the child's death, Avery still wouldn't have run home. After all, her father -- whose pyschic gift is even more awkward than here, because he sees how and when each person will die -- warned Avery years ago that her lifelong true love Jack would kill her. She ran away from marrying Jack, at a cost that's been overwhelming for her and her beloved. Especially since he has no idea why she left him.

So when her father (one of only three people to have her phone number) had a new vision and phoned her to tell her that her brother Latham would die if she didn't come back home, Avery was acutely aware that only pain lay in front of her. And Jack. But given the chance, didn't she need to save her brother's life? (He is the only other person in the town suffering from a psychic gift. Gift? Curse, is more like it.)

Readers of serial killer cases know there's no escape from the evil until you fight it and defeat it, though. And the same holds for Avery. She may think she's home to save her brother. Even for that, she needs to face down her own PTSD, guilt, and horrified awareness of the losses all around her.

That's a lot of twists all at once, and a lot to ask of a reader. But Causey's storytelling is so strong, and Avery's desperate courage is so painful and necessary, that this is a true page-turner.

Take, for example, Avery's first task after she sets up a carefully guarded home for herself, surrounded by alarms, cameras, whatever it takes to keep the curious and the press away from her (and anyone else who may want to hurt someone who's been unsuccessful in preventing children's deaths). Jack's young son Brody goes missing, and Jack's instant reaction is to demand that Avery find this child -- the last thing she needs to be doing, but how can she say no? And in fact, she does find him, once she's able to shake off her "friends." She tells the boy she'll get him to the road home, but he'll have to walk the rest of the way to his dad on his own. Of course he asks, why?

"Town weirdo," I said, pointing at myself, "so I get to make whatever rules I want. That's my rule. And here's my other rule: you don't get to tell anyone -- not a soul -- that I helped you tonight. ..."

I put my hand out for him to shake, which was my second big mistake of the night, because he took it and immediately the image of two bloody eyes [of the boy's presumed-dead mom, his pressing loss of the moment] drilled me with the force of a diamond bit grinding through rock. I nearly passed out right there; it was everything I could do to hold it together for the kid. I must've yelped and jumped back from the contact, because suddenly I was standing -- when I was aware again of my surroundings -- a good three feet away from him.

"You okay?" His eyes were big as his face. Even in the moonlight, I could tell he'd gone all pale.

Avery's mix of tough and vulnerable, of love and despair, is as direct and desperate as her language. I couldn't put this one down.

So I guess I have a couple of authors now whose "paranormal mysteries" are so compelling  that I'll ignore my allergy to psychic moments, and keep turning the pages. (One of those authors is John Connolly. Another is the aforementioned Jon Land.) I never doubted that T.M. Causey would whip, twist, and pound the plot -- and her characters -- to a highly satisfying ending. And sure enough, she does.

I may have to get in line for more of these. Bottom line: tight plot, relentless suspense, and powerful human choices, along with the kind of twists the best mysteries should always have. And yes, there's a darned good reason for the title, but I'm not going to spoil the explanation now -- discover it for yourself, in THE SAINTS OF THE LOST AND FOUND.

Classic Mystery Puzzle With Dash of Romance: HARBOR ISLAND, Carla Neggers

The new Sharpe and Donovan mystery from Carla Neggers, HARBOR ISLAND, came out just as the garden demanded harvesting and pickling, but I managed to stay up extra late and keep reading -- because Neggers is a storyteller who constantly nudges the next "and then ..." into place.

FBI Agent Emma Sharpe's new status as fiancée of another FBI agent, Colin Donovan, hasn't yet been announced to her family, and there's always a fresh conflict of interest for her on the job: Which is more her core, her agent status or her family's profession in solving art crimes? Added to that, Colin's still wondering how she'll handle the engagement, considering that her past includes a season in Maine as a postulant -- not quite a nun, but to Colin and his brothers, there's not much difference.

True to classic Neggers style, the author juggles Emma and Colin's uncertainties with the way each of them is called to step into danger to chase the art thief they've hunted for in Ireland in a preceding book. And now the thief seems to have followed them home to New England and may be turning violent -- a sudden death by gunshot of an informant can't be a coincidence, can it?

HARBOR ISLAND is also a traditional puzzle mystery, as it sets up a small cast of characters and moves the question around the group: Motive? Means? Opportunity? Will it be Emma or Colin who finally cracks the case?

A big part of the charm of this series is its settings, from Boston to Maine to Ireland and back again. Count on each clue holding some meaning, neat twist of plot, and tidbits about Irish whiskey tucked in often. This isn't quite a "cozy" mystery, as the sleuths are professionals, not amateurs, but between the romance and the landscapes, it's a gentle read, ideal for unwinding by an autumn woodstove with a cup of tea and a cat. Or something even sweeeter.