The book: Worth reading if you enjoys mysteries and fattening foods
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This is the third Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes that I have had the pleasure of reading, although it is the first one that made me realize there is a chronology to Joanne Fluke's stories. One would think I have learned by now not to start a mystery series somewhere in the middle and then jump around to books both before and after, but you'd be mistaken. At least with this series, I believe the books do exist as stand-alone reading. If you're only interested in reading one book in a series, it should not be too difficult to pick up any of these books and just read the one. If you prefer to read through the entire series of books, do a little research and start at the first one. A quick google search tells me that Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder should, in theory, be the first one in this series.
Hannah Swensen is a delightfully pudgy, sarcastic, amateur snoop whose main occupation is running her bakery, The Cookie Jar. Some of the things I like about these books is that Hannah does not lack in the dating department and she seems to deal with the same weight woes as I do, including the reason for such woes: the love of baking and eating cookies, cakes, and pies. This particular book opens with Hannah having to make a decision about which of the two gentlemen who proposed to her, presumably in an earlier book, will be accepted. Having read a couple other books, I already knew the answer, but I did struggle with the suspension of disbelief in how these romances blossomed. I, personally, would never have been able to date someone seriously enough to propose marriage if I knew that individual was still dating other people, yet two men did exactly that with Hannah.
In Cherry Cheesecake Murder, Hollywood comes to Hannah's small town and sets up shop for a week. The director is killed when the prop gun is somehow replaced with a real one, and it's up to Hannah to save the day and find out Whodunnit.
Spread throughout the book are various recipes for the delectable goodies that Hannah and her friends bake, along with commentary about which characters prefer which types of variations. I have yet to try any of these recipes, mostly because my family has a dairy allergy and these recipes seem positively slathered in butter and cream. They sure look like they would be yummy and fairly simple to create.
All in all, I enjoy both the pacing and solutions to these Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Hannah is perhaps one of the more realistic personalities I have ever read in a murder mystery, although I might feel that way simply because I can relate well to her. In this book, the men are not nearly as realistic as the women, in my opinion, but that could simply be because I do not believe their situation could have occurred in my own life. In any case, I plan on reading more of these books in the near future.
Other books I have read in this series:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Fudge Cupcake Murder
Key Lime Pie Murder
Cream Puff Murder
Apple Turnover Murder
Devil's Food Cake Murder
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
Peach Cobbler Murder
Blueberry Muffin Murder
After reading more books in this series, I have determined that the main character exists solely for the creation of drama. There is no real point to Hannah otherwise. The further along in the series I go, the more frustrated I get with having to suspend my disbelief in order to finish each book. They are still enjoyable, but not nearly as much as they were when I first started reading them.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled: A Puzzle Lady Mystery by Parnell Hall, a review
The book: Enjoyable, but might be confusing if numerous characters with backstories isn't your thing or if you prefer more realistic mysteries
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my third or fourth Puzzle Lady Mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading. I found the first one more than slightly confusing due to the sheer number of characters that were both interrelated and had backstories that were a bit convoluted. The basic idea behind these mysteries is that Cora Felton is the grandmotherly public face of a local crossword puzzle creator, who is secretly Cora's niece Sherry. Cora is well-known for her numerous vices: smoking, cussing, and marrying, although there are numerous references to her previous drinking days, too. Cora moonlights in solving mysteries, although she does so in a manner that breaks as many laws as possible. Since she is the Puzzle Lady, these books include a number of crossword puzzles spread throughout them that are clues to the various crimes that have been committed. Since Cora cannot solve a crossword puzzle to save her life, Sherry is forced to get involved in things she would rather avoid.
The rest of the characters are a bit tedious to slog through at first. There's the whole string of Cora's exes, Sherry's abusive ex-husband, Sherry's best friend who at some point in the series marries the abusive ex, some reporter boyfriend, the local police, the attractive female lawyer, and a number of other hangers-on. Like I said, I was a bit lost in the first book, although I'm starting to pick up more details now. Almost all of these characters, Cora being the most glaringly obvious, are incredibly snarky and exchange sarcastic barbs left and right. Anyone who knows of my own penchant for snark can tell right away why I appreciate Parnell Hall's writing style.
In this particular book, Cora is essentially set up for a number of crimes, some which she actually committed in her efforts to avoid being framed for murder, after a string of wonky connections gets her involved in trying to solve a theft while being sued for stealing another puzzle writer's crossword puzzle. Realistically speaking, any lawyer worth their salt would get the actual perpetrators out of jail simply due to the illegal means Cora uses to find evidence. I also find it unlikely that the guilty parties would behave in the manner in which the author describes when Cora finally figures out Whodunnit. Too many years of dealing with lying and/or otherwise misbehaving kidlets leads me to believe the perpetrators' actions would be quite different in real life. However, I like hearing nice and neat solutions to problems, so I am willing to overlook this issue. The overdose of snark throughout the book makes it all worthwhile as far as I am concerned.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and crossword puzzles, loves protagonists who are not afraid to break the law, heartily enjoys sarcasm and other flippant commentary, and who does not mind having to suspend some disbelief in the manner in which crimes are solved. I certainly plan on reading more of them in the near future, although I will most likely hunt down a copy of the original book in the Puzzle Lady Mysteries so I can try and straighten out those bizarre character connections and backstories.
Other books I have read in this series:
The Sudoku Puzzle Murders
Stalking the Puzzle Lady
And a Puzzle to Die On
The author: Worth reading again
Review:
This was my third or fourth Puzzle Lady Mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading. I found the first one more than slightly confusing due to the sheer number of characters that were both interrelated and had backstories that were a bit convoluted. The basic idea behind these mysteries is that Cora Felton is the grandmotherly public face of a local crossword puzzle creator, who is secretly Cora's niece Sherry. Cora is well-known for her numerous vices: smoking, cussing, and marrying, although there are numerous references to her previous drinking days, too. Cora moonlights in solving mysteries, although she does so in a manner that breaks as many laws as possible. Since she is the Puzzle Lady, these books include a number of crossword puzzles spread throughout them that are clues to the various crimes that have been committed. Since Cora cannot solve a crossword puzzle to save her life, Sherry is forced to get involved in things she would rather avoid.
The rest of the characters are a bit tedious to slog through at first. There's the whole string of Cora's exes, Sherry's abusive ex-husband, Sherry's best friend who at some point in the series marries the abusive ex, some reporter boyfriend, the local police, the attractive female lawyer, and a number of other hangers-on. Like I said, I was a bit lost in the first book, although I'm starting to pick up more details now. Almost all of these characters, Cora being the most glaringly obvious, are incredibly snarky and exchange sarcastic barbs left and right. Anyone who knows of my own penchant for snark can tell right away why I appreciate Parnell Hall's writing style.
In this particular book, Cora is essentially set up for a number of crimes, some which she actually committed in her efforts to avoid being framed for murder, after a string of wonky connections gets her involved in trying to solve a theft while being sued for stealing another puzzle writer's crossword puzzle. Realistically speaking, any lawyer worth their salt would get the actual perpetrators out of jail simply due to the illegal means Cora uses to find evidence. I also find it unlikely that the guilty parties would behave in the manner in which the author describes when Cora finally figures out Whodunnit. Too many years of dealing with lying and/or otherwise misbehaving kidlets leads me to believe the perpetrators' actions would be quite different in real life. However, I like hearing nice and neat solutions to problems, so I am willing to overlook this issue. The overdose of snark throughout the book makes it all worthwhile as far as I am concerned.
All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both mysteries and crossword puzzles, loves protagonists who are not afraid to break the law, heartily enjoys sarcasm and other flippant commentary, and who does not mind having to suspend some disbelief in the manner in which crimes are solved. I certainly plan on reading more of them in the near future, although I will most likely hunt down a copy of the original book in the Puzzle Lady Mysteries so I can try and straighten out those bizarre character connections and backstories.
Other books I have read in this series:
The Sudoku Puzzle Murders
Stalking the Puzzle Lady
And a Puzzle to Die On
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up by JoAnna Carl, a review
The book: A good, quick read if you enjoy nice, happy murder mysteries
The author: Worth reading
Review:
I have read a number of JoAnna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries and absolutely adore them. I find the characters to be likable, even with their often exaggerated physical characteristics. The first victim in this book, for example, is described as looking like a frog. The main character, Lee McKinney, works in her aunt-through-marriage's chocolate shop. She is a quite tall former beauty pageant contestant who has the delightful habit of twisting her words into oddball malapropisms when she is startled or stressed. I have yet to read the first book in the Chocoholic Mysteries, so I do not know whether a medical reason is given for her twisted tongue, or whether that is just one of her quirks. In either event, I am glad to see someone other than me be responsible for any snickers when unexpectedly inappropriate words are used. Lee's aunt is a feisty yet somehow refined lady who provides a lot of the small-town information to fill the reader (and, of course Lee) in on the details.
In this book, the froglike character, um, croaks, and Lee finds herself involved because her boyfriend appears to be getting framed for the murder.
There are pages of chocolate facts spread throughout the book, to the great delight of those of us who are real-life chocoholics. Lee also provides a general description of any of the chocolates mentioned throughout the course of the story, and there are more than a few of them in any story involving a chocolate store! The end result is that I typically want to send my husband out to buy some chocolate before the book is even finished. As much as I love these books, I might have to lay off of them for a while until I can fit into my pants once more.
The only downside that I have come across, in my opinion, is that these mysteries do follow a certain chronological sequence. Even though they are fine as stand-alone reading material, I recommend anyone just starting to delve into this series to start from the beginning and read them in order. Otherwise, you might do as I did with this book, and eliminate characters as suspects simply because you've already seen them introduced as the good guys in later books by JoAnna Carl.
All in all, I find the Chocoholic Mysteries to be enjoyable, somewhat lightweight reading material on days when you just want a nice, happy murder mystery to tide you over. The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up does not disappoint.
The author: Worth reading
Review:
I have read a number of JoAnna Carl's Chocoholic Mysteries and absolutely adore them. I find the characters to be likable, even with their often exaggerated physical characteristics. The first victim in this book, for example, is described as looking like a frog. The main character, Lee McKinney, works in her aunt-through-marriage's chocolate shop. She is a quite tall former beauty pageant contestant who has the delightful habit of twisting her words into oddball malapropisms when she is startled or stressed. I have yet to read the first book in the Chocoholic Mysteries, so I do not know whether a medical reason is given for her twisted tongue, or whether that is just one of her quirks. In either event, I am glad to see someone other than me be responsible for any snickers when unexpectedly inappropriate words are used. Lee's aunt is a feisty yet somehow refined lady who provides a lot of the small-town information to fill the reader (and, of course Lee) in on the details.
In this book, the froglike character, um, croaks, and Lee finds herself involved because her boyfriend appears to be getting framed for the murder.
There are pages of chocolate facts spread throughout the book, to the great delight of those of us who are real-life chocoholics. Lee also provides a general description of any of the chocolates mentioned throughout the course of the story, and there are more than a few of them in any story involving a chocolate store! The end result is that I typically want to send my husband out to buy some chocolate before the book is even finished. As much as I love these books, I might have to lay off of them for a while until I can fit into my pants once more.
The only downside that I have come across, in my opinion, is that these mysteries do follow a certain chronological sequence. Even though they are fine as stand-alone reading material, I recommend anyone just starting to delve into this series to start from the beginning and read them in order. Otherwise, you might do as I did with this book, and eliminate characters as suspects simply because you've already seen them introduced as the good guys in later books by JoAnna Carl.
All in all, I find the Chocoholic Mysteries to be enjoyable, somewhat lightweight reading material on days when you just want a nice, happy murder mystery to tide you over. The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up does not disappoint.
Bell, Book, and Scandal by Jill Churchill, a review
The book: Skip it
The author: Not worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time knowingly reading a mystery by Jill Churchill. One of the local librarians had recommended I try her, although she freely admitted she had never read any of Churchill's works. The only tidbit I was told prior to starting the book was that the librarian heard that "Jill Churchill" was a pseudonym picked specifically to have the distinction of following Agatha Christie's works, which surely must be a treasured spot for any mystery writer. I have no idea whether or not this is true.
The first thing I discovered when flipping open the book and reading the inside covers was that this author also writes the Grace and Favor mysteries that I have only recently discovered. Unfortunately, the only Grace and Favor book I have read thus far was, in my opinion, quite the drab and boring mystery. I finished it in order to find out Whodunnit, but was not impressed enough to go back for more. After having read Bell, Book, and Scandal, I found myself wishing it was as good as the Grace and Favor book.
I almost could not bring myself to finish the first chapter in this book, let alone the rest of it. I found the characters to be two-dimensionally stereotypical, and not in a good way. Characters often seemed to be introduced for the sole purpose of adding one or two extra paragraphs without improving the book. I could not bring myself to care for any of them. I was surprised that a book with a 2003 copyright date would have such sexist situations. For example, the main character's male lover is introduced as such, talks about his messy apartment that he needs her to help clean, eats the leftovers from her excellent dinner, and then has the audacity to tell her she needs to wait for another time to talk to him about something that is going on in her life. All of this was on page three of the book, so right off the bat I presumed the female protagonist is an idiot for allowing such a fool into her life.
The general idea of the story is that Jane Jeffry, our less-than-intelligent heroine, is going to go to a local mystery conference with her best friend. Jane is not a writer yet, but she aspires to be one someday soon. Throughout the course of this utterly unrealistic and forgettable story, Jane winds up almost inadvertently solving the mystery of two seemingly unrelated incidents, neither of which provoked the least little bit of curiosity or suspense on my part. I was surprised to learn there were other books in this series that preceded this one, as I could almost forgive the author if she had written this book to set up a future series.
The author tends to exaggerate using unnecessary and illogical details, which drove me a bit batty. An example of this was Jane's best friend entering a driveway at about fifty miles per hour and then screeching to a halt. Not many drivers can make a left or right turn into a driveway safely at that speed, and not many driveways are long enough to allow for the 175-ish feet that would be necessary for the driver to stop without hitting something. The author took a stab at writing a couple of love scenes, and I truly wonder why. They did nothing to further the plot and actually bored me to read. I would have been happier if the author had her protagonist ditch the boyfriend and go out to buy some really good chocolate. That, at least, would have been believable.
All in all, I have no intention of reading another one of Jill Churchill's books, which saddens me in a way. I normally really enjoy mysteries and had been hoping that she would live up to her spot right after Agatha Christie.
The author: Not worth reading again
Review:
This was my first time knowingly reading a mystery by Jill Churchill. One of the local librarians had recommended I try her, although she freely admitted she had never read any of Churchill's works. The only tidbit I was told prior to starting the book was that the librarian heard that "Jill Churchill" was a pseudonym picked specifically to have the distinction of following Agatha Christie's works, which surely must be a treasured spot for any mystery writer. I have no idea whether or not this is true.
The first thing I discovered when flipping open the book and reading the inside covers was that this author also writes the Grace and Favor mysteries that I have only recently discovered. Unfortunately, the only Grace and Favor book I have read thus far was, in my opinion, quite the drab and boring mystery. I finished it in order to find out Whodunnit, but was not impressed enough to go back for more. After having read Bell, Book, and Scandal, I found myself wishing it was as good as the Grace and Favor book.
I almost could not bring myself to finish the first chapter in this book, let alone the rest of it. I found the characters to be two-dimensionally stereotypical, and not in a good way. Characters often seemed to be introduced for the sole purpose of adding one or two extra paragraphs without improving the book. I could not bring myself to care for any of them. I was surprised that a book with a 2003 copyright date would have such sexist situations. For example, the main character's male lover is introduced as such, talks about his messy apartment that he needs her to help clean, eats the leftovers from her excellent dinner, and then has the audacity to tell her she needs to wait for another time to talk to him about something that is going on in her life. All of this was on page three of the book, so right off the bat I presumed the female protagonist is an idiot for allowing such a fool into her life.
The general idea of the story is that Jane Jeffry, our less-than-intelligent heroine, is going to go to a local mystery conference with her best friend. Jane is not a writer yet, but she aspires to be one someday soon. Throughout the course of this utterly unrealistic and forgettable story, Jane winds up almost inadvertently solving the mystery of two seemingly unrelated incidents, neither of which provoked the least little bit of curiosity or suspense on my part. I was surprised to learn there were other books in this series that preceded this one, as I could almost forgive the author if she had written this book to set up a future series.
The author tends to exaggerate using unnecessary and illogical details, which drove me a bit batty. An example of this was Jane's best friend entering a driveway at about fifty miles per hour and then screeching to a halt. Not many drivers can make a left or right turn into a driveway safely at that speed, and not many driveways are long enough to allow for the 175-ish feet that would be necessary for the driver to stop without hitting something. The author took a stab at writing a couple of love scenes, and I truly wonder why. They did nothing to further the plot and actually bored me to read. I would have been happier if the author had her protagonist ditch the boyfriend and go out to buy some really good chocolate. That, at least, would have been believable.
All in all, I have no intention of reading another one of Jill Churchill's books, which saddens me in a way. I normally really enjoy mysteries and had been hoping that she would live up to her spot right after Agatha Christie.
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