Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

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Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Katie Alender

Scholastic Press: 2013, 296 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Colette Iselin is going back to her French roots!  A junior at a private school in Ohio, Colette leaps at the chance to spend nine days in France for a school trip.  But Paris is on alert right now: there's a serial killer targeting the young and beautiful and the killing method of choice is decapitation.  Colette isn't worried until she starts seeing visions of a pale woman in a pink ball gown and large white wig, like Marie Antoinette herself. Colette starts to investigate and teams up with a local French boy since her self-obsessed "friends" don't seem that interested.  Colette learns that her father's family may have been a part of something and now it seems that Colette is also involved and in danger! Can she solve the mystery and keep her head connected to her body before the trip is over?

The Winter People

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The Winter People

Jennifer McMahon

Doubleday: 2014, 317 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

This story flips back and forth between various characters all in a different point of time, beginning in the early 1900s to present time.  They all are affected by goings on at West Hall, a small town in Vermont, and an area of creepy land named Devil’s Hand.  It is a captivating ghost story that keeps the reader wondering up to the end.  I found myself wishing there were photographs to go along with the book.  It was a quick and easy read that I enjoyed and look forward to more by the same author.

The House at Riverton

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The House at Riverton

Kate Morton

Macmillan Pan Books: 2006, 599 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

This novel goes back and forth from present time to the past of one character, Grace.  In present day, she is at the end of her life and begins to reminisce about an old mystery that she was involved with during her time as a servant on a large estate.  The story of that time is being made into a movie and the makers consult her on some details.  This makes her return to that time and the reader slowly unravels the mysterious events.  I enjoyed this debut novel by Kate Morton, and I read it because I loved her book The Forgotten Garden, however the latter was noticeably much better.

A Little Night Murder

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A Little Night Murder (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #10)

Nancy Martin

NAL Hardcover: 2014, 384 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nora Blackbird is at a good place in her life: her best friend Lexie is back home from prison and Nora is finally, finally pregnant.  She's still busting the society beat for her column but this time the news comes closer to her.  Next door to Lexie's hideout from the press is the estate of the famous Toodles Tuttle, a Broadway composer.  His widow is putting on a brand new show and everything seems peachy keen except for the dead daughter.  Nora's on the case while also trying to wrangle in her older sister Libby's libido (she's caught between a bug exterminator and a Broadway veteran) in addition to convincing her younger sister Emma to avoid her new and very dangerous beau.  Readers should be aware that this is the last Blackbird Sisters book until further notice from the author.

No Way to Kill a Lady

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No Way to Kill a Lady (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #8)

Nancy Martin

NAL Hardcover: 2012, 320 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Life is a little stressful for Philadelphia socialite turned social columnist Nora Blackbird. Her oldest sister Libby seems to be gunning for tabloid worthy scandals and her younger, wilder sister Emma is pregnant with a baby whose father is a soon-to-be-married man.  Her best friend Lexie is in prison for manslaughter charges and her son-of-an-infamous-mobster boyfriend is under house arrest.  Luckily, or unluckily, there's a murder to solve! The sisters' great aunt Madeleine Blackbird leaves her estate and valuables to the sisters except that there's nothing left in the house except an old, dead body.  Nora won't rest until she figures out what happened at the estate so many years ago.  

Murder Melts in Your Mouth

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Murder Melts in Your Mouth (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #7)

Nancy Martin

NAL Hardcover: 2008, 282 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Philadelphia socialite turned social columnist Nora Blackbird finds herself in a tizzy. Her best friend, noted financial wizard Lexie Paine, is accused of murdering her business partner.  To make matters worse, her parents, the ones who spent the entire Blackbird fortune and stole from friends to escape south of the border, are back.  The Blackbird sisters are all in a panic at their sudden reappearance.  It takes Nora all her patience and amateur P.I. skills to solve this one!

A Crazy Little Thing Called Death

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A Crazy Little Thing Called Death (Blackbird Mystery #6)

Nancy Martin

NAL Hardcover: 2007, 288 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Socialite turned social columnist Nora Blackbird is the one making headlines as she's engaged to Michael Abruzzo, son of a notorious New Jersey mob boss.  Nora tries to avoid wedding planning with her ridiculous older sister Libby, while also trying to figure out the mysterious disappearance and possible death of ex-movie star Penny Devine.  And as per usual, her boyfriend/fiancé seems to be dealing in something unwise and secretive and Nora is really starting to wonder whether the relationship will work or if the naysayers are right: are they too different to be together?

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

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The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

Lillian Jackson Braun

Recorded Books: 2001, 5 hours

Narrated by George Guidall

Originally published in 1967, 224 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

This is the second book in Lillian Jackson Braun's mystery series starring journalist Jim Qwilleran and his enigmatic Siamese cat, Koko.  Qwilleran has just been assigned to write a new weekly magazine for The Daily Fluxion called Gracious Abodes, a magazine that focuses on interior decorating.  Not exactly thrilled with his new assignment, Qwilleran goes with it and dives deep into the world of interior decorating.  However, the day after the first issue is published, the house that was featured is robbed and the wife of the owner dies of a heart attack.  Suspicious, Qwilleran investigates and is not surprised to find that his clever cat, Koko, is right there to help him find several key clues.  George Guidall does an excellent job narrating the book and his attempts at female characters are entertaining and amusing.  A bit slow at times, readers can't help but sit and listen in order to find out the answer to the big question: whodunit?

Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die

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Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #4)

Nancy Martin

Signet: 2005, 288 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nora Blackbird, the socialite turned social columnist, is assigned to a fashion show that features a miracle bra.  She's barely able to write her story when she finds her boss, Kitty, dead on her front porch.  It seems that Kitty was shot execution style and bound with panty hose; nothing significant except for the fact that it is also the trademark of the Abruzzo family, a notorious Mob family in New Jersey.  Her lover, Michael Abruzzo, is the number one suspect to the police, even though Nora knows he's innocent.  As usual, it's up to Nora to find the real killer before she joins her boss six feet under!

Some Like It Lethal

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Some Like It Lethal (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #3)

Nancy Martin

Signet: 2004, 320 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nora Blackbird, socialite turned social columnist, attends a fancy party where the husband of a wealthy but stingy heiress is found dead.  The extra bad news?  Looks like her feisty sister Emma is the number one suspect.  Nora does anything and everything she can to clear her sister's name whilst also trying to figure out how to evade a blackmailer who has his sights on quite a number of Philadelphia's finest citizens.  Readers do not necessarily have to read the other two books in Nancy Martin's series but it definitely would help.

Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds

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Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #2)

Nancy Martin

Signet: 2003, 272 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nora Blackbird, socialite turned social column writer, is a little unnerved to find her ex's wife suddenly looking and dressing a lot like her at a party.  She becomes even more unnerved when said wife suddenly commits suicide the very next day.  Was it really suicide?  Could her ex, Flan Cooper, be involved?  And what about the rumors that Laura Cooper was actually quite the clever kleptomaniac who whisked away fabulous jewels from the high and mighty of Philadelphia?  Nora is sure that there's more to the story and she's determined to find out the truth, even if it means putting herself in danger.

How to Murder a Millionaire

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How to Murder a Millionaire (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #1)

Nancy Martin

Signet: 2002, 266 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

The first in her Blackbird Sisters mystery series, How to Murder a Millionaire introduces readers to the Blackbird Sisters: Nora, Libby, and Emma.  The books are narrated by the middle sister, Nora, who considers herself the most normal.  Nora's a little down on her luck, since her parents left the country to avoid jail time for tax evasion and Nora is stuck with the Blackbird estate and $2 million owed in back taxes.  Nora takes her first real job as a society page columnist at a local Philadelphia newspaper.  Her first assignment turns out to be more than she bargained for when she finds the party host - an old family friend - dead.  Determined to find out who killed her friend, Nora plays detective by herself, since her hippie older sister Libby has four kids and a second husband to take care of and younger sister Emma is too busy being the wild child.  Although her new neighbor, the son of a New Jersey mob boss, seems very eager to help Nora out...

The Forgotten Garden

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The Forgotten Garden

Kate Morton

Pan Books: 2008, 648 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

This story takes place over three generations and each chapter alternates between them.  It revolves around the mystery of the birth of Nell and her mother's life and her granddaughter's quest to find the truth.  The reader is taken on a journey to discover Nell's family's past and how she came to be adopted and who her true parents were.  I enjoyed the story and the many layers of secrets that were slowly uncovered between the different points in time.

Bad Monkey

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Bad Monkey

Carl Hiaasen

Knopf: 2012, 317 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Andrew Yancey is a former Key West police detective who is reassigned to Health Inspector after an unfortunate incident involving his girlfriend's husband and a handheld vacuum.  When an arm is found by a tourist on a fishing excursion, Yancey sees this as his ticket back onto the force.  The unofficial investigation takes him to Miami and the Bahamas where he encounters a poncho-clad real estate developer, a kinky medical examiner, a voodoo witch, and the titular monkey, who retired to the islands after starring in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.  While I'm not generally a Hiaasen fan, I think his audiobooks are ideal for road trips.  They are light and entertaining, not requiring too much of your attention, and are humorous enough to appeal to a wide-range of travel companions.  

Ripper

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Ripper
Isabel Allende
Harper: 2013/4, 496 pages
Reviewed by Jessie Park

Indiana Jackson is a holistic healer who believes in essential oils and how the planets affect her future.  Amanda Martin is her teenage daughter who is set to go to MIT and spends all her time on Ripper, an online gaming community that focuses on solving crimes.  Over the course of several months, San Francisco experiences several seemingly unrelated murders.  Amanda and her Ripper colleagues, which includes her grandfather Blake, meet online and try to solve the cases, becoming more convinced that they are all done by the same twisted person.  Amanda and Blake have the inside access since her father, Bob Martin, is the homicide police chief.  Things become personal when Indiana is kidnapped and Amanda is dead sure that the kidnapper is the same murderer the Ripper players have been chasing.  It's a race against time as Amanda and the Ripper players try to solve the murders and shed light on the murderer's identity while Bob rallies the police force to find his ex-wife before it's too late.  Adding to the action is Ryan Miller, Indiana's best friend who is also in love with her.  He's a highly skilled ex-Navy SEAL who will stop at nothing to ensure her safety, even if he's the number one suspect in her disappearance.  This is not a light read but it does pick up towards the middle as much of the book goes into the backgrounds of the characters.  There is violence throughout the book but it is not intensely gory.

Blood Orchid

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Blood Orchids (Lei Crime #1)

Toby Neal

Self-Published sold by Amazon Digital Services: 2011, 314 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Blood Orchids is the first of Toby Neal's series that focus on Hawaiian policeman Lei Texeira.  Lei had a very troubled past but is trying to move forward, even if she still has some spells that she'd rather keep on the down low.  On patrol, she and her partner find two murdered teenage girls and she wants in on the investigation, even if she hasn't been promoted to a detective just yet.  Adding to the stress is that fact that she is being stalked.  But working with the lead detective has been pleasant, even with all the chaos around her.  Readers should be aware that certain scenes can be triggers; there is sexual assault (adult and child) and some violence.

And Then There Were None

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And Then There Were None

(Also published as Ten Little Indians)

Agatha Christie

Bantam Books: 1983, 194 pages

(Originally published by Collins Crime Club: 1939, 272 pages)

Reviewed by Jessie Park

And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie's best-selling novel and also one of the best-selling books of all time, and for a good reason.  This mystery will leave you guessing until the very end.  A group of ten seemingly random people from all backgrounds are invited to spend time on Indian Island in England, all under different pretexts.  The real reason for their visit is to fulfill someone's sick sense of justice.  All of the people are charged with killings from their past but were never convicted or had to undergo any legal proceedings.  Stuck on the island with no way to leave, one by one the guests are killed off and the group realizes that the killer is one of them.  But who among them is the twisted killer?  Can they trust anyone?  Or even themselves?    

The Pericles Commission

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The Pericles Commission (The Athenian Mysteries #1)

Gary Corby

Minotaur Books: 2010, 352 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Nicolaos is the son of a sculptor in Ancient Greece, during the time when democracy is still young and in danger.  The statesman Ephialtes, the father of democracy in Athens, has been murdered and the city is in chaos.  Nico has been given a commission by the young politician Pericles to find out who killed Ephialtes.  Nico works with Diotima, a virgin priestess of Artemis (much to Nico's chagrin) and occasionally with his often annoying younger brother Socrates.  Nico wants to be a politician and sees this commission as his way in but will he even be able to survive the investigation?  This is the first of six mysteries in the series by Gary Corby.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce #1)

Alan Bradley

Delacorte Press: 2009, 374 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Set in the summer of 1950 in a small British town, our protagonist is the very precocious Flavia de Luce, an eleven year old chemistry fanatic.  Living with a reclusive father and two horrid older sisters (although to be honest, Flavia isn't exactly the example of a perfect little sister), life is quiet for Flavia.  Well, it was quiet until a dead bird with a postage stamp fixed to its beak is found on the doorstep, followed by Flavia literally tripping over a dying man in the garden.  It seems that Flavia has stumbled onto a mystery and it takes all her wit and skill to solve the crime that is somehow connected to her father's past.

My Cousin Rachel

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My Cousin Rachel

Daphne du Maurier

Doubleday: 1951, 352 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

**Warning - this review contains spoilers!

Philip Ashley is heir to his older cousin, Ambrose.  They both live simple lives until Ambrose marries an Italian woman named Rachel.  He dies suddenly and Philip is set to inherit his estate when he turns 25, in less than a year.  Philip had received mysterious notes from his cousin and had went to check on him in Florence.  He was too late and Rachel was gone as well.  Upon his return to England, Rachel came to his house.  No arrangements had been made for her to have any property or money.  She stays with Philip and over time, he falls in love with her and eventually gives her everything, but she does not return his affection.  The story had the reader wondering if she is sincere or if she possibly murdered Ambrose and is money-hungry.  The question is never fully answered as she has an accident in the end, and dies, and all the property and money revert back to Philip.  I enjoyed the thrill of the book, but did feel that it dragged on and the story could have been told in much less time.