As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

Book 7 in the Flavia de Luce books, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust has Flavia attending a boarding school in Canada.  This is the first of the books to be set in Canada despite Alan Bradley being a Canadian author. (Alan Bradley is originally from Ontario, although he has lived in Malta - Gozo - and apparently currently lives on the Isle of Man.)  I wasn't sure how the change in location would influence the story.  What happened is Flavia spent less time solving the crime in a lab (which she has scarce access to) and more time trying to navigate (both location, people, and social structure) while nosing out information to solve the murder. 

Jayne Entwistle did her usual excellent job of narration.  Flavia spoke less, and except for rare glimpses of other characters like Dogger and Mrs. Mullet, most voices are Canadian.  This seems obvious (duh, the book is set in Canada), but it was most apparent when the long loved characters had their brief voiced moments.  Just as Flavia was homesick, I missed them too.

I enjoyed the story overall, but I'm looking forward to the change the next book will bring.  I won't say more, lest there be spoilers.

The Long Way Home

It was time for me to revisit Gamache and the people of Three Pines.  I had halted in part because the storyline had become so difficult to process emotionally (a sign of good writing, I suppose), and in part when I learned that the narrator Ralph Cosham had passed.

But it was time to move on, and time to listen to the last of the Gamache books that Cosham did narrate, The Long Way Home (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 10).

This story is all about where Clara's husband Peter has gone to, and along the way, how everyone is living within their new positions and life roles after great turmoil, upheaval, and change of the past several books - Gamache, Beauvoir, and the several of the residents of Three Pines have adjustments to work through.  Which brings us back to Peter.  Clara and Peter had a trial separation of 1 year, and Peter was supposed to return to figure out where they go for now.  But he hasn't, and something must be wrong - but what?

There is a lot of symbolism in this story - in the title, the book cover, and the "clues" Peter has left behind.  

I do really enjoy this series.  During this particular book, I laughed throughout and cried once (I cannot say more without spoilers).  I will miss Ralph Cosham, but he did a beautiful job with this last book (and all those proceeding it). 

Going forward, I will be quicker to listen to The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Gamache, Bk 11) and the other books in the series.  I hope narrator Robert Bathurst is a good fit (Louise Penny says he is), and I look forward to my next visit with Gamache and the residents of Three Pines.

Asking for Truffle

Title: Asking for Truffle

Author: Dorothy St. James aka Dorothy McFalls

Publisher: Crooked Lane

Series: Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781683312918

Length: 316 pages + "Recipes Snipped From the Camellia Current, Camellia Beach's Local Newspaper"

Obtained: Library hardcover copy

Comments:

Penn is the next thing to an orphan, even though, presumably, neither parent has actually passed.  She's the daughter of a very rich man, and was raised by her very rich grandmother (kind of).  But she is estranged (and always has been) from her known family, and doesn't want any part of their money.  Her background has made her cynical and short on trust.  So wen she gets a letter claiming she's won a trip to a beach town chocolate shop, she suspects a scam.  She speaks to an old school friend who agrees to go down and investigate for her.  But when he is murdered and his death is written off as a drug crime, Penn goes down to investigate.

Penn's cynicism sees this small beach community as worn down and crumbling.  She encounters a closed minded and inept cop, a mystical "woo-woo" shop that she doesn't believe in, two old ladies who she believes must be involved in the scheme to get her into town for her trust fund.

Unfortunately, Penn's negative picture is how the town is introduced to the reader as well.  Instead of the usual cozy warmth that tends to be found in small cozy mystery towns, there is this gloom.  And while Penn's perspective changes throughout the story as she gets to know the people in town, it is hard to move past her initial negativity.

The mystery itself is fine.  It is multi-part, and of course, events throughout add to the mystery.  I guessed the bad guy, but not the motivation.  Anyway, I had a little trouble connecting to this story and its characters, but I do expect I'll keep reading the series.

Murder in an Irish Village

Title: Murder in an Irish Village

Author: Carlene O'Connor

Series: Irish Village Mystery, Bk 1

Publisher: Kensington Mystery

ISBN: 9781617738463

Length: 344 pages

Obtained: Purchased autographed paperback at Lit Fest

Comments:

I found out I could go to a "Cozy Book Club Mini-Con" for my birthday and I was so psyched! As I reviewed the list of authors expected, I realized I had bought this back in June, so I started it the night before.

Siobhán O'Sullivan and her five siblings are trying to keep up their parent's bistro and each other after the death of their parents a year prior.  But when the brother of the young man who killed them in a drunk driving accident comes into town, making crazy claims, an stirring things up he ends up a murder victim... in the bistro.  Eldest sibling James, is believed to be the killer, and Siobhán is left to solve this mystery and keep the pieces of their family and home together.

I enjoyed the story and the characters.  I particularly enjoyed the O'Sullivan Six.  The mystery puts everyone in the village under suspicion.  Since this is the first book and introduction to the village characters, Siobhán's sleuthing and instincts strongly color who may or may not be responsible.

An interesting note... when Carlene spoke at the con, she mentioned that she had thought keeping foul language out of a book set in Ireland wasn't very authentic.  However, her publishers assured her that Irish curse words don't count.  In fact, the Irish cursing is frequent in the book's dialog, and as Carlene said, they are most definitely swear words.  I can see, however, where words that are not common cursing in the States made them easier to just gloss over while reading.

Also of note, the village this book is set in, Kilbane, County Cork doesn't quite exist, but is based off of a real town, Kilmallock,  that the author fell in love with in County Limerick.  She highly recommended visiting if anyone has the chance.  You can see her love of this town, as place is most definitely a character in this book.

Anyway, I own book 2, Murder at an Irish Wedding, and hope to read it soon.

Cat About Town

Title: Cat About Town

Author: Cate Conte

Series: Cat Café Mystery, Bk 1

Publisher: St. Martin's

ISBN: 9781250072061

Length: 295 pages

Obtained: Library paperback copy

Comments:

Maddie is visiting the town she grew up in as her grandmother has passed and she's helping her grandfather adjust.  While there she finds out a local bigshot is bullying her grandfather - former chief of police - into selling his home... ahouse that has been in the family for generations.  Before she can come up with a plan, said bigshot is murdered, and Maddie's grandfather is suspected.  Obviously this means she needs to help find tehtrue culprit, and to help jer is the cat that seems to have adopted her - JJ.

The story was pretty quick, with a mixture of focus on the murder/investigation and Maddie's relationships with family, friends, and other townspeople.  This book is definitely primarily a set-up for the series though.  The series name, for instance, doesn't even really come into play other than brief mentions here and there.  And I didn't always agree with Maddie's approach to some aspects of her sleuthing.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading book 2, Purrder She Wrote.

Bird, Bath, and Beyond

Title: Bird, Bath, and Beyond

Author: E. J. Copperman aka Jeffrey Cohen

Publisher: Minotaur

Series: Agent to the Paws Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9781250084293

Length: 304 pages

Obtained: Download from Edelweiss+

Comments:

This is the second whitelisted Macmillan review title that I've downloaded through Edelweiss+.  I had to read the first book in the series, Dog Dish of Doom before I could read this one (you can find my post for that here).  In general, there is something about E. J. Copperman's characters that really appeals to me.

In this story, Kay is representing a parrot for a popular zombie television series.  She encounters entirely different cops this time, which makes sense considering the murders in both books have taken place in New York.  Kay is again reluctant to be pulled into an investigation, but her client was the only witness.  While the cop this time certainly does NOT ask for her assistance, Kay feels she needs to help and poke around for other reasons.  I don't want to say too much and give anything away, so I'll leave it at that. 

This one's mystery is a bit more convoluted and maybe even a little ridiculous, but I still enjoyed it.  I enjoy the characters, I enjoy the humor, and I especially enjoy the combination that comes out in Kay's narration of the story.

I look forward to whatever the third book may be, and I hope to read some more of E. J. Copperman/Jeff Cohen's other work in the meantime.

Dog Dish of Doom

Title: Dog Dish of Doom

Author: E. J. Copperman aka Jeffrey Cohen

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Series: Agent to the Paws Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781250084279

Length: 293 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

This has been on my TBR list for awhile, but when I had the opportunity to get a review copy of book 2, I bumped this one up on my list.  Even then I have so many books right now, it was chance that I picked it up and started reading a few lines before I got out of my car after work.  But that first bit interested me enough that I kept going once I got inside (not easy with all the chaos of home these days).  I enjoyed the concept.  I enjoyed the dogs.  The title is just as theatrical as the characters - more so than the actual mystery.  But I still enjoyed sorting the mystery out. 

I found it interesting that the main character, Kay, isn't actually seeking to poke her head into this murder (mostly), but instead is prompted by her parents and the detective on the case.  That was a change of pace, although I don't know that I found the detective requesting her investigative assistance very believable. 

Anyway, I have the second book, Bird, Bath, and Beyond ready to go in my Kindle as soon as I finish some of the other books I have going.

White Sand Blues

Title: White Sand Blues

Author: Vicki Delany

Publisher: Rapid Reads (Orca)

Series: Ashley Grant Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781459815353

Length: 138 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

This is the first book I've read for the 12th annual Canadian Book Challenge.  This book is set in the Victoria and Albert Islands (which apparently fall under Britain), but the author Vicki Delany is Canadian, as are the primary and several secondary characters.

This is a Rapid Reads book, which means it is short and fast paced - meant for those who need help with adult literacy or reluctant readers.  Vicki has also written a standalone, A Winter Kill, and the Ray Robertson series (book 1 is Juba Good) for this line.

While I preferred the Ray Robertson series to this book, it was a quick and enjoyable mystery.  Ahsleyhas just gotten in and hasn't even been to her hotel when she is called in to help on her first case as a medic for the Grand Victoria Island; a Canadian has been found dead in the water.  Her intriductionto this new job is even more startling when it turns out she knows the victim's daughter from her school days back in Canada.

I look forward to reading book 2 in this series, Blue Water Hues.

From the Charred Remains

Title: From the Charred Remains

Author: Susanna Calkins

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Series: Lucy Campion, Bk 2

ISBN: 9781250007889

Length: 340 + Histoical Note (343)

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I started this immediately after finishing the first book in the series, A Murder at Rosamund's Gate for the second time.

Lucy is leaving her former master's home to make way for herself as a printer's apprentice.  She hopes to both make better future for herself and possibly to clear the way for her to have a relationship with her now former master's son, Adam.  But Adam is distant and Lucy has discovered (in a way) another mystery in the aftermath of the great London Fire.  The charred remains of a foreigner hidden in a barrel and with naught but what are apparently the winnings from a card game, including a coded love letter.

I'll be reading more of this series soon, I hope.  I own an autographed copy of the third book, The Masque of a Murder, from when I met the author a few years back.

A is for Alibi

Title: A is for Alibi 

Author: Sue Grafton

Series: Kinsey Millhone, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781429901345

Obtained: Library ebook copy

Comments:

It took me awhile to finish this not because of the story, which I found interesting and enjoyed, but because of the format.  Until the day I finished it, I was pretty much only reading it when I could cram it in on the desk at work, which has been very busy lately.

Anyway, I did find myself noting some very small parts that were dated (primarily, the lack of cell phones meant Kinsey's job traveling from place to place left her using answering services and scrambling to keep up with any calls or clues she received in her investigation).  But overall the story seemed to age pretty well.

I has issue with the dog scenes.  I can't go into too much detail, but apparently Kinsey doesn't care for dogs - or at least large ones - and that bothered me.  The sex scenes startled me with their presence, but they were pretty brief, presumably because the main focus of these books isn't romance.

I look forward to starting B is for Burglar.  Perhaps that will be my next ebook, or perhaps I will wait for things to calm down.

Better Off Read

Title: Better Off Read

Author: Nora Page

Series: Bookmobile Mystery, Bk 1

Publisher: Crooked Lane

ISBN: 9781683316435

Length: 320 + Recipes

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I had some trouble really getting into this.  Something about the way the story was introduced didn't quite gel with me.  I'm not sure what, though.  I've read and enjoyed books with senior detectives (such as the Gladdy Gold Mysteries by Rita Lakin), bookmobiles (Bookmobile Cat Mysteries by Laurie Cass), librarians (I can't even start this list), cats/dogs (again, too long to list)...  Whatever the issue, by the time I was midway through I settled in and breezed through the remainder of the story.

I've said this in comments and on Goodreads, but... Rhett Butler the Persian cat, and Mr. Chaucer the pug are lovely characters.  I love the cover.  Cleo's relationship with Henry was great.  I will try the next book whenever it comes out.

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate (Re-read)

Title: A Murder at Rosamund's Gate

Author: Susanna Calkins

Series: Lucy Campion Mysteries, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781250007902

Length: 340 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I wanted to catch up on this series, and I couldn't remember this first book well enough, so I decided to re-read it.

I did enjoy it - enough so I crammed reading it all in one evening.  But perhaps not to the same extent as the first time.  I remembered one part about Lucy's brother, and I suspected (but did not remember) the culprit partway through.  Last time I was left waiting for book 2, and the delay meant I never did get around to reading it.  This time I already have books 2-4 on hand, and have begun reading book 2 already.

Anyway, regarding this story.  The story starts with Lucy as an 18-year-old chambermaid in a decent household in 1665-1666 London.  Soon after we are introduced to Lucy we discover servant girls are being murdered.  When a member of Lucy's household becomes a victim, Lucy is determined that her friend have justice.  But this is a rough time for London with plague looming and other disaster following closely behind.  When all of London is in chaos, justice for a lowly servant girl doesn't prompt much urgency - especially when the one pushing is another serving girl, when women have little say, and when those accused of crime have so few rights.

You can see my original post here.

Julia Buckley

The following was in a draft from October 2017...

I'm in a Goodreads group for cozy mysteries.  Each month they feature an author, and I've decided to try reading some of the featured author's works.

For September, the featured author was Julia Buckley.

I read the first book in the Writer's Apprentice Mystery series, A Dark and Stormy Murder.  I also (a little late - I think October 2nd?) finished the first book in her Undercover Dish Mysteries series, The Big Chili.

I enjoyed both, though perhaps The Big Chili a bit more.  I plan to continue both series.

I was concerned about a love triangle in A Dark and Stormy Murder, but, thankfully, the issue seemed to be resolved.  I enjoyed Lena and her cat.  The mystery itself was a nice introduction to the series.
ISBN: 9780425282601
Length: 273 pages
Obtained: Library copy

In The Big Chili, the story was interesting, and the characters seemed vivid.  I liked both Lilah and (especially) her dog, Mick.
ISBN: 9780425275900
Length: 283 pages
Obtained: Library copy

Irish Stewed

Title: Irish Stewed

Author: Kylie Logan [Website][Facebook][Twitter] aka Casey Daniels [Website][Facebook][Twitter] aka Miranda Bliss aka Zoe Daniels aka Constance Laux aka Connie Deka aka Connie Lane aka Connie Laux

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Series: Ethnic Eats, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780425274880

Length: 275 + Recipe

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

Placed purchase request because I was in the mood for some cozies and the series and book titles sounded interesting.

Comments:

I enjoyed.  This was a quick read.  I liked Laurel.  Though she was a bit distant and slow to warm up, I could understand why.  She's come from a foster background, spent time in backstabbing Hollywood, come to this small town based on false information, and encountered a murder within hours of coming.  None of those factors lend to trust, and so I did find the small town expectations that she just accept them as trustworthy to be grating.  The mafia spin (a small bit) seemed surreal.

Laurel moved past that, though, as she investigated the crime and tried to make the best of her situation.  And maybe she and this small town can help each other after all.

Anyway, I was immediately interested in the second book, French Fried which I have since finished.

Garage Sale Stalker

Title: Garage Sale Stalker

Author: Suzi Weinert [Website][Facebook][Twitter]

Publisher: Bluewater Press

Series: Garage Sale Mysteries, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781604520903

Length: 326 pages + "Reading group Discussion Questions"

Obtained: Library (ILL) copy

Why this book?:

At the time of this writing, I've watched all 11 (to date) of the Garage Sale Mystery movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries with Lori Loughlin. This mean I've been intending to read the book(s) that inspired these movies for quite some time.  It finally happened.

Comments:

The problem with watching movies/TV shows prior to reading the book(s) is that you've already had an image of characters presented.  So differences from what you now have in mind are jarring.  I spent the first part of the book identifying differences.  But the subject matter in the book is pretty dark (horrible child - and animal - abuse), and many of the details of the first movie have faded, so I was drawn into the story.

I intend to rewatch the first couple movies to refresh my memory.  I will also (eventually) read the second and third books in the series - the movies have long since passed up the books.

Tailing a Tabby

Title: Tailing a Tabby

Author: Laurie Cass [Website][Facebook]

Publisher: Obsidian

Series: Bookmobile Cat Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780451415479

Length: 340 pages

Obtained: Library copy (and library ebook copy)

Why this book?:

Wanted to follow up on the series.  Remembered very much enjoying the first book, Lending a Paw.

Comments:

Minnie is driving the bookmobile when she comes across a man in desperate need of emergency care.  She drives him (and his wife) to the ER just in time.  It turns out he is a well known and very talented artist.  But when he is accused of  murder while still recovering in rehab, she (and Eddie) must figure out who the real killer is.  Meanwhile, she is juggling her library and bookmobile responsibilities.

Murder in G Major

Title: Murder in G Major

Author: Alexia Gordon [Website][Twitter][Facebook]; Read by Jessica Carroll [IMDb]

Publisher: Dreamscape

Series: Gethsemane Brown Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781520063850

Length: 7 discs ; 8 hours and 10 minutes

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Why this book?:

It had good reviews in the professional magazines/journals, so I decided to try it for our collection and myself.

Comments:

I started off with some issues with the narrator.  She is British with a British accent.  While this not normally an issue, Gethsemane Brown is an American.  And while Jessica Carroll has an okay generic American accent, it was INCREDIBLY distracting to hear an American thinking in a British accent.  It caused a huge disconnect.  The other issue I had was several of the men had high pitched voices, so I had to hear the pronouns a few times before I registered that the characters were male.  (Thankfully, ghost Eamon McCarthy had a satisfactorily deep voice.)  So that was my initial response.  (I wish I could find the review, but those magazines/journals tend to pile up and it could be from one of 3-4 titles covering a span of about 3 months.)

Eventually, I was dragged into the story because I was enjoying the story. I zipped trhough quite a bit of this, listening on all my commuting, and my lunch, and so forth.  And then the END happened.  And I was furious! It was a cliffhanger!  Oh, the general mystery was solved, but who cares about that when this happened!  And the next one isn't due out until JULY! (Though, at least it's less than a year.)  So I went into a reading funk for days.  Stupid cliffhanger.  Be warned.

NOTE: This was listed to months ago.  July was several months away not here.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

Title: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

Author: Alan Bradley [Website][Facebook]; Read by Jayne Entwistle [Website][Audiofile][Twitter]

Publisher: Random House Audio

Series: Flavia de Luce, Bk 6

ISBN: 9780307879851

Length: 7 discs ; 8 hours

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Why this book?:

I needed an audiobook.  This is a series I have been following, and I enjoy Jayne's narration.

Comments:

Something about this book dragged for me.  I think it started with the time between when I finished book 5 and when I started this.  But also, the book had a different feel to me.  Flavia, while still exhibiting the same spunk, was distracted.  Her distraction and sorrow and so forth, seemed to detract from my own enjoyment somehow.  It took me months, with large spells of listening to other materials before I finished the book.  However, I did, and hopefully, while seemingly in new circumstances, book 7 will pick up the feel I have so enjoyed and appreciated.  I hope Flavia's maturing is not TOO speedy.

Elementary, She Read

Title: Elementary, She Read

Author: Vicki Delaney [Website][Facebook][Twitter] aka Eva Gates [Facebook][Twitter]

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Series: Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781683310969

Obtained: NetGalley

Why this book?:

I loved the cover, the Shelock Holmes Bookstore idea was appealing, and I've read and enjoyed Vicki Delany's books before.

Comments:

I enjoyed this book.  I liked Gemma, despite that manner that likens her to Sherlock.  The setting was fun (I've always liked the idea of owning a bookstore, and the Sherlock bit was particularly interesting to contemplate).  And while I did not have good feelings about the bad guy, I also didn't guess that he/she was the bad guy; I thought he/she was just not a likable character.

I look forward to reading more in this series.

The Last Detective

Title: The Last Detective

Author: Peter Lovesey [Website]; Introduction by Louise Penny [Website][Facebook]

Publisher: SOHO Crime

Series: Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond, Bk 1

ISBN: 9781616955304

Length: 382 pages

Obtained: SOHO sent copies for my book club to discuss

Why this book?: See above.  But also, it sounded interesting and was the first in a series (always a perk).

Comments:

I enjoyed reading this story in a distant reflective way, I guess.  Peter Diamond doesn't feel like someone the reader gets close to any more than the men he works with (though I did like him).  I spent much of the story hoping he'd get past his pride and still make the break that solves the case.

As for the mystery itself, I wondered about the culprit, but had dismissed it.  I guess this is a procedural, which I read less of and have not adjusted to as much.  But the story was interesting when they had the various people of interest in for questioning.  I wonder how this became an extended series with how this one ended, so I would be interested in reading more.