Good Reads: Lowcountry Book Club

Lowcountry Book Club by Susan M. Boyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lowcountry Book Club is the fifth book in the Liz Talbot mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited, full length novel.

Liz and her husband are hired to investigate a murder by a prestigious law firm. Their job is to prove that the defendant, the victims husband, is innocent. But Liz can't stop herself from trying to find the true murderer and the evidence to prove it.

I've always loved the main characters in this series, because they are intelligent and honorable. The mystery in the Lowcountry Book Club is fast paced, detailed and unpredictable.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading future books in this series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Diner Knock Out

Diner Knock Out by Terri L. Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diner Knock Out is the fourth book in the Rose Strickland Mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

I love this series; the heroine, Rose, is smart and determined to make it through life as an independent woman. The secondary characters are complex and fully part of the plot.

The plot is a fast paced mystery intertwined with the romance between Rose and her underworld boss boyfriend.

I would suggest that this series of mysteries be read in order; this book wouldn't read well as a standalone novel. It does end with a satisfying HFN.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Guaranteed To Bleed

Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Guaranteed To Bleed is the second book in The Country Club Murders series. It is a well written and professionally edited, full length mystery novel.

The heroine is a widow (the first book was about her husband's murder) and part of the Kansas City country club set. She has been programmed to deny her feelings and hide any unpleasantness in her life by her controlling mother and promiscuous late husband.

In Guaraneed the h stumbles upon the body of a teenager under the bleachers at a high school football game. She finds herself and her daughter embroiled in a murder investigation, while she dodges the lawyer her matchmaking mother has decided should be her next husband. And there's the handsome police detective that keeps getting drawn into her life by the murders she stumbles upon.

The mystery was complex and fast paced; and the characters well developed. I was disappointed to see that the h was still allowing her mother to manipulate her. With everything she's been through she should have developed the strength to break free of outside influences.

All in all, Guaranteed To Bleed is a satisfying read with a HFN ending. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Double Mint

Double Mint by Gretchen Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Double Mint is the fourth book in the Davis Way Crime Caper series. It is a well written, professionally edited and hilariously funny mystery/comedy novel.

Davis and her new husband now both work for and live at the Bellissimo Casino. Davis' instincts are screaming to her that something is seriously wrong with the Bankers convention they are hosting. But her ideas are so far fetched that no one believes her. Davis, being Davis, decides to investigate anyways and chaos ensues.

This was one of the rare books that had me laughing and snorting (with dignity, of course) out loud. It is just incredibly witty and funny.

I highly recommend this novel, but read the series in order to understand the story's nuances.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Beyond A Doubt

Beyond A Doubt by Nancy Cole Silverman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beyond A Doubt is the second book in the Carol Childs mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited, full length novel.

Carol, while working as a radio station's investigative reporter, is sent to cover the murder of a young woman. She soon finds herself delving into the world of missing women, sexual slavery and organ harvesting. The perpetrator of these crimes is a powerful man, entrenched in local government and charity circles. It is up to Carol to prove his guilt to law enforcement and to the public.

I fully enjoyed the fast paced plot and detailed investigation in BAD. And thank goodness (and the author) for an intelligent heroine and her equally intelligent female friend. Add that Carol is middle aged, a parent, with a normal body type and I was in Happy Reading Land.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Dying Brand

Dying Brand: An Allison Campbell Mystery by Wendy Tyson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dying Brand is the third book in the Allison Campbell mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Allison Campbell, an image consultant, is surprised to hear that her ex boyfriend has been murdered during an apparent drug deal gone wrong. She is horrified when photos of their love making, that she was not aware of, are mailed to her friends and relatives. With her professional and family relationships endangered, she is determined to investigate the murder.

Wendy Tyson writes deliciously complex plots that keep me interested from beginning to end. There are also several sub plots involving secondary characters which add to the book's depth.

I did have a problem with the relationship between Allison, her ex mother in law, Mia, and her ex husband, Jason. Despite their protestations of love neither Mia or Jason seem to trust Allison. Neither relationship seemed promising or convincing to me.

Overall, I highly recommend Dying Brand and I look forward to reading future books in this series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: With Vics You Get Eggroll

With Vics You Get Eggroll by Diane Vallere
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With Vics You Get Eggroll is the third book in the Mad for Mod series. It is a well written and professionally edited mystery/romance novel.

The mystery element was nicely done with possible and plausible suspects popping up here and there. As soon as I thought I had the murderer figured out I was proven wrong.

Unfortunately, for me, the romance and romantic leads left me unimpressed. The two love interests are washy washy and not passionate about the heroine at all. Instead of committing to her they move in and out of her life without much regard to her well being or needs.

Overall, I enjoyed WVYGE and I look forward to reading future books by this author.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Lowcountry Boneyard

Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lowcountry Boneyard is the third book in the Liz Talbot paranormal/mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel. There are a few misspellings in this ARC, but I am assuming they will be corrected prior to publication.

Liz, her boyfriend/partner Nate, and her spirit guardian Colleen are hired by an influential family to investigate a missing persons case. Soon it becomes apparent that evil and disfunction run rampant in the family of the missing girl. I enjoyed this complex plot, both for the interesting investigation and the growing relationship between Liz and Nate.

LB can be read as a standalone, but I suggest that the series be read in order to fully understand the characters and the plot nuances. The ending is a satisfying HFN. I look forward to reading more of this author's books.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Nun Too Soon

Nun Too Soon by Alice Loweecey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nun Too Soon is the first book in the Giulia Driscoll mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited novel.

The plot is original, not fast paced, but moved forward steadily to the conclusion. The heroine is an ex-nun, and private detective, married to a police detective. Her agency is hired by a private company to investigate employee theft and an attorney to investigate the murder his client has been accused of committing. Both cases end up overlapping with common perpetrators. I found the plot to be interesting, because I enjoy investigative details.

I would have like more details about the main characters' background. I was left wondering why Giulia was no longer a nun, how she met her husband, how they married and how did she become a private detective.

Overall, this is an entertaining mystery novel and I look forward to reading more books in the series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.