cozy mystery – The Spine View

A Crime Through Time by John Anthony Miller

A Crime Through Time reads like a cold case murder mystery. The story line bounces between the mid-19^th century and the 1950s in Normandy. If not for the setting, this plot could have been something straight out of the crime drama 48 Hours. A totally engrossing read.

In the past, an artist’s model was murdered not far from the studio of Jean-Pierre, a French painter known for his use of light. Then an attempt is made on the life of Elsie Lyon, the wife of a wealthy and ruthless Paris businessman, while she was leaving the same studio after a portrait sitting with the artist.

In the present (1956 Normandy, France) Zelie Girard has just inherited a house with 3 cottages, two of which are rented, from her mother-in-law, along with a mountain of debt. Not sure what she is going to do, Zelie starts to go through her late mother-in-law’s things. In the attic she finds a series of paintings that could be valuable. Her interest is peaked and she sets out to discover more about the paintings and the artist. What she uncovers is much more than she bargained for.

This book is highly atmospheric because the author did an outstanding job with the descriptive prose. The attention to the details of the settings made it easy for me visualize each scene. It is one of the reasons I was deeply invested with the outcome.

Another aspect of this book that had me captivated were the great characters. Some of them I loved and some I loved hating. The characters were definitely fully developed and I had no problem understanding their actions and motivations from the prickly and arrogant detective to the young postwar widow. In addition, the cast was varied and this added a richness to the story.

The pacing was good and the clues where doled out slowly as the story unfolds. Despite the clues, I never figured out who the murderer was. I thought I was paying attention. However, I was totally surprised in the end. The ending was not as all what I expected and yet it felt right.

A Crime Through Time is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and lovers of historical fiction. It would also make a great book club selection. Highly recommend that you put this on your TBR list.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker

If you are in the mood for a light read that goes quickly, look no further than A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker. It is a charming cozy mystery with a paranormal twist.

The main character, Becky, is a medium that lives in the small town of Asheville. As a medium, she assists the spirits of the departed who need a little help in moving onto the next life. She truly enjoys being helpful to them. However, her siblings do not feel the same as she does. They refuse to recognize that they also possess the same ability, inherited from their mother, and thus avoid her at times.

No one is avoiding Becky on her 26^th birthday, this includes Josh’s, her boyfriend from high school, ghost shows up. He went missing 10 years ago to the day and no one ever found out what happened. You can imagine what a shock this all is to Becky. She feels she must do whatever is necessary to help Josh move on. However, to do this she will have to figure out how he died.

I enjoyed this innovative take on a cozy mystery. I know there are other cozies out there that are similar, but this one is just done really well. The author didn’t haphazardly add the paranormal elements. The elements were well thought out and added a little something extra. In addition, I felt they helped moved the plot along. Also, the author did not leave any cliffhangers. Yet, there are a lot of places Becky’s story can go from here. For Example, I hope in future books she will help her siblings with their gifts.

I also liked Becky’s character a lot. It suited the story nicely and the author did a good job with the character development. I would have liked just a little more development on Becky’s siblings. I think this may have been intention since it leaves some things for future books.

I also want to mention that I live is Asheville and have for over 40 years. Therefore, a person can’t just write nonsense about the area unless you want me to call you out on it. I am happy to report there was no nonsense in this book. The author was spot on in describing the city and its’ atmosphere.

I like it when a book surprises me or gives me something new and different. I recommend this book to readers of cozy mysteries. I think you will find it as enjoyable as I did. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

While the author asked me for a review, I used my Kindle Unlimited to read this book.

Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn

Heart of Barkness by Spencer Quinn is the continuing story of the Little Detective Agency and is book nine in the series (Chet and Bernie mystery). In this quirky and sometimes humorous mystery which is narrated by Chet (who is the canine part of this crime solving duo), Bernie and his loveable assistant Chet attempt to solve the murder of the manager of an aging country singer. It appears to be cut and dry; but as cases go, it turns out to be much more.

The story opens when Bernie and Chet are invited to hear Lotty Pilgrim sing at a dive bar on the outskirts of town. Bernie and Chet, both being fans of country music, decide to leave a generous tip in Lotty’s jar. Lotty never sees the tip because it is quickly stolen right out of the jar under everyone’s nose. Chet quickly runs down the “perp” and Bernie returns it to Lotty only to see it being taken away by her manager.

Bernie senses something is not right here. He decides to make an impromptu visit to Lotty. Before he and Chet know it, they are drawn into the murder case and find that it is rooted deeply in Lotty’s past. Someone is trying to keep her past buried and another murder is not too high a price to silence anyone who digs too deep.

Because I have a no spoiler policy, I am going to remain vague. Instead I would like to talk a little about Chet, my favorite character. Chet gives a running dialogue of observations and information that the reader needs to understand what is going on. So it is not necessary to have read any of the other books in the series. Not only is Chet my favorite, he is spot on in his observation of humans. The author did a great job here.

The plot was a little slow at the beginning and I was wondering just where the story was going. Then bam, the murder happens and Bernie and Chet start working to put the pieces together. The plot picks up and runs along nicely after that. In addition, there were a few things I was not totally sure about until near the end and I enjoyed the suspension. Then Chet wraps it all up nicely for us at the end and he even gets a song written just for him. Awww….

I would definitely categorize this as a cozy mystery and I recommend this to anyone who enjoys them. I also think any dog or animal lover would appreciate the wit and wisdom of Chet. I am looking forward to reading more about this crime solving duo.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

Title: Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
Author: Mario Giordano
Pub. Date: 6-Mar-2018
Rating: 3.7 stars

Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is the first in a series of murder mysteries by Mario Giordano. The story is related to the reader by Auntie Poldi’s nephew who is staying with her while he writes, or attempts to write, a book.

The main character, Auntie Poldi, is an eccentric sixty year old German that has recently arrived in Sicily, after the death of her husband, to retire and be near family. Her only goal seems to be to drink herself to death. That is until Valentino Candela, a young man who does odd jobs for her, fails to show up one day to fix her leaky roof. Unfortunately, Poldi is the one to find him dead, of a gunshot to the head, a few days later. On the spot, she vows to him that she WILL find his killer. Continue reading “Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano”