Tag Archives: mystery

Holiday Whodunnits: Five Golden Wings and Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings

24 Dec

Five Golden Wings
by Donna Andrews
It is wedding time again in the funny Meg Lanslow Mystery series. In Five Golden Wings, it isn’t one, but two weddings that are happening between two of Meg’s feuding cousins who have chosen the same day to celebrate their nuptials in Caerphilly. This is mystery thirty-eight in the series, but you do not have to be familiar with the previous book to enjoy the mystery and humor in this novel. I’ve often bailed on series after they go on to long and stop being fresh, but Andrews’s writing continues to be engaging with another fun mystery and her always charming cast of characters. I also liked that in cozy novels sometimes characters can seem too perfect, but the stress of the wedding is making even Meg and some of her sweet family members get a bit cranky. The first in the series Murder with Peacocks also centered around wedding preparations so if you enjoy this one definitely check the original out as well. Andrews also has several other holiday themed entries including Halloween as well as Christmas in the series.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings
by Liz Ireland
Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings was our holiday pick for this year’s December Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion. This year we decided to have added fun by inviting the Mystery Discussion members to join us. There are six books in the series so far including the latest Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine. The first book takes place not long after April married Nick Claus and moved with him to the North Pole where he is taking over the role of Santa after his brother passes away. When a grumpy elf named Giblet Hollyberry dies after discovering a black widow spider apparently hiding in his stocking, April decides to help solve the crime and hopes that it will exonerate her husband who the night before had been decried by Giblet. I liked that though there is a sense of whimsy in some of the description that this still felt like an adult novel and not overly juvenile. April’s adjustment to her in-laws and worries about the fact that she had a short engagement before marrying Nick are those many new brides experience. Ireland builds on bits of Santa legends and adds interesting twists of her own such as the sled reindeer all being female (based on the real life fact that males lose their horns in early fall/start of winter and females keep them through the spring). If you enjoy this unusual spin on the Claus Dynasty you may also enjoy Sara Raasch’s romance about another version of the North Poler rulers, Nightmare Before Kissmass.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Great Mysteries Part 1: Celebrating with Tea with Jam & Dread and Icing on the Murder

30 Jul

Tea with Jam & Dread
Vicki Delany
I was new to Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea series of which Tea with Jam & Dread is the sixth book in the series. Most are set in Cape Code where Lily Roberts owns a tea shop next door to her grandmother’s Bed & Breakfast. However, in this novel, Lily along with her grandmother Rose and best friend head to England for a special 100th birthday gala for Rose’s former employer and dear friend Elizabeth, the dowager countess of Frockmorton, whose family’s castle is now running a hotel. Elizabeth’s family are loath to lose their blood blood status which provides plenty of drama. When there is first a murder and then a missing priceless necklace the trip becomes even more exciting than Lily could have ever imagined. I enjoyed the vivid way that Delany brings the setting to life and gives us an interesting postcard view of Yorkshire. I plan to check out other books in the series. If like me you are charmed by this story, Delany has written several other mystery series including The Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries, The Year Round Christmas Mysteries, the Constable Molly Smith Mysteries and the Ashley Grant Series.

Icing on the Murder
Valerie Burns
The protagonist of Valerie Burns’ Icing on the Murder also has plenty to celebrate with her wedding day drawing near. But on top of baking her own cake and one for a bridal expo, Madison is soon drawn into the mystery of a diva of a wedding planner’s demise. This is the fourth in the Baker Street Mystery series, which I’ve been meaning to check out for awhile. Madison is a great and unique mystery protagonist, a young black woman who previously was a social media influencer, but is now running a bakery she had inherited along with a giant bull mastiff named Baby. There is a little something for everyone in this novel, a sweet romance between Madison and her fiancé, a curious crime with plenty of potential culprits, strong family and found family bonds, and even at the end some tempting apple recipes based on dishes mentioned in the book. You can enjoy reading this book without having read the previous in the series, but if you are curious about how it all started I’ll have a review of book 1 in the series in my blog post Great Mysteries Pt 2 out next week.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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