Good Reads: A Killer's Guide to Good Works

A Killer's Guide to Good Works by Shelley Costa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Killers Guide to Good Works is the second book in the Val Cameron Mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

The plot was very good; fast paced and detailed. Shelley Costa is an accomplished author and at times writes so beautifully that I would read a section, stop, exhale and relive her words. After reading the prologue I found myself grinning and rubbing my hands together at the thought that I had a whole book of her writing before me.

So if I enjoyed the book so much why did I only rate it as four stars? Because it read like a first book. None of the secondary characters from the first book were in this one. Val's love interest has flown off into the sunset and only rates a couple of sentences. It was disconcerting. I hope this isn't one of those series where the main character has a new man in each book. I enjoy watching characters' relationships grow over time.

I enjoyed A Killers Guide to Good Works and look forward to reading future books in the series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

*Sex and violence is not graphic in this novel.

Good Reads: With a Vengeance

With a Vengeance by Annette Dashofy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With a Vengeance is the fourth book in the Zoe Chambers Mysteries series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Someone in the county is staging emergency scenes, luring in first responders, then shooting them. Police, fire and EMS responders seem to be fair game and everyone, including Zoe and Pete, are operating under incredible stress until the killer can be found.

I enjoyed the exciting and fast paced plot, but I felt as though they just sort of bumbled onto capturing the bad guy. I would rather have seen better investigative technique.

Zoe and Pete's romance is moving very slowly. I mean, like a snail's pace. She's rather stay with co-workers families than sleep in Pete's guest bedroom??!!

Overall, this was a good read with a few weaknesses. It ends with a HFN.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: A Muddied Murder

A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Muddied Murder is the first book in the A Greenhouse Mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Megan, a former attorney, has returned to her small hometown to take over her father's failed organic farm and to live with her grandmother. She is frustrated in her attempts to get her farm store and cafe opened by an overzealous city inspector and the local historical society. When said inspector is found murdered in her barn Megan is the prime suspect.

First novels in a series are always tricky because the author has to introduce new characters and locations to the reader and still tell the story. It is done nicely in A Muddied Murder; I enjoyed the mystery without getting bogged down in the details.

Megan is my kind of female main character; she's a competent adult, intelligent and kind. The other characters were interesting and well developed.

The mystery is not overly complicated nor too simple. Just right.

I recommend this novel and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Marked Masters

Marked Masters by Ritter Ames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marked Masters is the second book in the Bodies of Art mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Laurel and Jack have stumbled on to something extremely unusual; a forger is copying the work of other forgers. Plus Laurel is slowly uncovering some baffling information about her long dead mother. Jack is secretive, as he always is, and Laurel is finding it hard to trust him.

I am having such fun reading this series. The author is a polished writer and her style is intelligent. These books are fast paced and filled with intrigue on top of intrigue.

Marked Masters ends with a HFN and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Counterfeit Conspiricies

Counterfeit Conspiracies by Ritter Ames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Counterfeit Conspiricies is the first book in the Bodies of Art mystery/suspense series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

The heroine works for a nonprofit foundation liberating (stealing) art works from thieves and unscrupulous collectors, then returning them to their rightful owners. She suddenly finds herself in a caper alongside a mystery man that seems to have a similar skill set and the ability to waylay her at the most inconvenient times.

This is a rollicking start to a fascinating and fun series. The plot is fast paced and the characters well developed and complex. Counterfeit Conspiricies was a hard book to put down.

I highly recommend this novel which ends with a HFN.

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: Sky High

Sky High by Susan O'Brien
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sky High is the second book in the Nicki Valentine mystery series. It is a nicely written, full length novel.

Nicki has been a self employed private detective for a year with a home based business doing background checks. She has two small, school aged children and a budding romance with, Dean, one of her past instructors from the PI school. Nicki's character has been fleshed out in this novel, with more information on her past and her philandering late husband. She was a much more well rounded character and I enjoyed her interactions with her best friend.

The Dean character wasn't my favorite. Nicki seems to have well founded reservations about him, but she never openly communicates her concerns. As a result I didn't relate to their relationship.

The runaway groom/murder victim plot was fun and fast paced. The culprit wasn't evident until the end of the book. I like to be kept guessing.

One big problem I had was with a contradiction in the plot. We are told that the woman Nicki's late husband was having an affair with thought that he was separated and didn't know about the children. But toward the end of the book Nicki finds a letter that indicates that she did know about Nicki and the kids. It blows one of the big plot devices out of the water.

Overall, this is a decent read, a good mystery with a so so romance. It ends with a HFN.

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: Scents and Sensibility

Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scents and Sensibility is the eighth book in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited full length novel.

Chet and Bernie are concerned about their elderly next door neighbors and set out to find the couples' son. A son that has just spent fifteen years in jail for kidnapping. What seems like a straight forward case soon turns into a murder and police corruption investigation.

I love Chet's, the dog, narration of the plot with his free form way of thinking. Bernie is struggling in this story and I deeply identified with his need to help the weak and helpless people in this world.

Scents and Sensibility is a fun and poignant read. I highly recommend this entire series.

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: When Lies Crumble

When Lies Crumble by Alan Cupp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Lies Crumble is the first book in the Carter Mays mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited full length mystery novel.

When a young socialite is left standing at the alter by her fiancé; she hires Charlie Mays to find him. What was at first a missing person case quickly becomes dangerous for Charlie and his client.

This plot is original and fast paced. I could have used more character development, especially of the main character, Charlie Mays. I had a hard time visualizing him and very little background was given for his character.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed When Lies Crumble. The first book in a series can often get bogged down, but the focus on a strong plot made this an absorbing read for me. It ends with a HFN with no cliffhanger.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: MacDeath

MacDeath by Cindy Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MacDeath is the first book in the Ivy Meadows mystery series. It is well written and professionally edited.

The heroine, Ivy (Olive), is a professional actress in a local, small performance of Macbeth. She pays her bills by holding down "real" jobs. When the leading man is found dead on opening night she is convinced that he was murdered. With the help of her private detective uncle, she sets off to solve the crime.

Sometimes the first book in a series can be hard reading because the necessary introduction of characters can bog the plot down. But Cindy Brown handled the challenge very nicely. The characters were fully developed and the plot moved along briskly.

I recommend MacDeath and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Read: Devil in the Deadline

Devil in the Deadline by LynDee Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Devil in the Deadline is the fourth book in the A Headlines in High Heels Mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited novel.

The heroine, Nicey, is a reporter investigating a murder connected to the mob and a televangelist. It has been so nice to read a series where the main character grows and matures as time goes by. Nicey and her two love interests are constantly evolving.

This is a complex plot, but was presented in a clear and easy to follow way. It held my interest throughout and I always look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Devil in the Deadlines could be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading the series in order. It ends with a satisfying HFN.

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.

Good Reads: The Red Queen's Run

The Red Queen's Run by Bourne Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Red Queen's Run is one of the most intelligently written and emotionally gripping mystery novels that I have read this year. It starts with a chilling reference to a real murder that took place in academia and then smoothly moves us into the fictional heroine's fears regarding her own co-workers.

When the heroine, Red, receives a phone call telling her of the murder of her boss, the Dean of Journalism, at the university where she works, she is horrified. She is named as his temporary replacement, soon finds herself trying to identify his murderer and in a relationship with the investigating detective. The plot is fast paced and gripping.

I highly recommend The Red Queen's Run to any mystery lover. It ends with a satisfying HFN. I look forward to reading more from this author.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt by Nancy Cole Silverman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shadow of Doubt is the first book in the A Carol Child Mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited mystery novel.

Carol Child is a middle aged, divorced, single mother, radio news reporter with an FBI agent boyfriend. She is on the edge of being fired by her much younger boss, so when her next door neighbor becomes a murder suspect, Carol jumps in to solve the murder and get an exclusive news report for her radio station.

The first novel in a series can be a bit boring while the author establishes the characters, their backgrounds and the plot for the reader. I found this to be true of Shadow of Doubt, but once the background was established the plot became fast paced and interesting.

While a HFN was established at the ending the crime had not been completely solved which led to a very dangly cliffhanger. I look forward to reading future books in this series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Death By Blue Water

Death by Blue Water. A Hayden Kent Mystery by Kait Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Death By Blue Water is the first novel in the Hayden Kent Mystery series. It is a well written and professionally edited mystery novel.

Hayden, a paralegal and frequent diver, wakes up one morning after nursing a migraine, soaking wet, in her bathing suit, at a marina and not remembering anything from the night before. Soon she finds herself the main suspect in a murder. Since law enforcement doesn't believe her story she sets off to investigate the murder and clear herself.

The plot was original and interesting and the character development was good, but what I liked best about Death By Blue Water was the author's ability to make each scene come alive. I could easily visualize the diving scenes, almost feeling as though I was there.

The only problem I had was that Hayden came off as being a bit unstable and, sometimes, not that bright. It was hard for me to view her as a competent amateur detective.

I recommend Death By Blue Water, especially if you like heroines that are amateur investigators. The book ends with a HFN.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Finding Sky

Finding Sky by Susan O'Brien
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finding Sky is the first book in the Nicki Valentine Mystery series. It is a decently written and professionally edited novel.

Nicki is a widow, stay at home mother of two young children, has a degree in forensic psychology and is attending school to become a private investigator. Her dearest friend has been chosen to adopt a child by the unborn child's birth mother, but the teenaged pregnant girl has disappeared. Nicki agrees to find the girl, which puts her in the sights of a violent gang. While this plot definitely needs the reader to suspend their disbelief; it is original and fast paced.

Unfortunately, I found it difficult to connect with Nicki. Her thoughts seemed to bounce from subject to subject as though they were on speed. It was confusing and irritating. Top it off with her food snobbery and her obsession with sunscreen, which she shared with the reader repeatedly, and I was tired of her. I would have enjoyed reading more about her past and more thorough character development to help me identify with her.

I think that Finding Sky is a fast, easy and light read that most readers would enjoy. There is a small amount of romance entertained with the mystery. It ends with a satisfying HFN.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Good Reads: Lost Legacy

Lost Legacy by Annette Dashofy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lost Legacy is the second book in the Zoe Chambers mystery series. It is a very well written and professionally edited novel.

Zoe Chambers father died 27 years ago, the victim of a drunk driver. A more recent suspicious death and a visit from her cold mother and step father cause Zoe to begin looking into the real cause of her father's death. She is helped by her friend (and maybe love interest) the police chief.

I love the characters, even the evil characters, like Zoe's mom, are interesting. They have depth and are well developed.

The mystery kept me guessing up until the end. I used to work in law enforcement and it is obvious that the author did her research.

I highly recommend this series. The books end with a satisfying HFN.

ARC provided by Henery Press via Netgalley.