Set sail for murder

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Charlaine Harris and Caroline Graham

      There is more to Charlaine Harris than the Sookie Stackhouse True Blood vampire series. Although Ms. Harris is getting all the fame for that series, I prefer the Aurora Teagarden mystery series. I know its simple and fun, but there you have it. I just finished reading A Bone to Pick about a small town librarian who inherits a house and a lot of money. What fun! Only trouble there is a secret in the house and Miss Teagarden isn't about to involve the police with her name this time. How will she protect her name and the name of her benefactress with what she discovers hidden in the house? A fun read, and more in the series. Always nice to know if its a series that I like has more to continue with.
     I also finished a book by Carline Graham of the Midsomer Murder series on BBC. I know she only wrote seven of the Tom Barnaby series and I have been wanting to read all of them, but maybe I have already and just forgot. I picked up Murder at Madingley Grange hoping it was a Chief Inspector Banaby mystery, but it proved to be something else entirely. Not bad, a comedy of errors in a grange house that is owned by the protagonist's aunt who has gone off on a cruise, leaving her niece and nephew Laurie and Simon Hannaford in charge. He thinks it's a great idea to invite strangers to the house for a mystery "Murder" weekend of fun and games. Laurie is shy and hesitant, but a good cook and she is persuaded to play the part of hostess. Its a fun farce and easy reading for a summer day.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Payment in Blood

I'm on the second in the Inspector Lynley mystery series by Elizabeth George. Payment in Blood has the typical house guests snowed in at Westerbrae, a Scottish mansion on Loch Achiemore.. The guests are all attached to a new theatre production and have come to hear the reading of a play that has been altered by the playwright. The playwright, Joy Sinclair, is found stabbed to death in her bed by a dirk found on the wall of the estate. Things become complicated when Lynley finds that the only access to the victim's room is through his best friend, Lady Helen Clyde's room. And she did not spend the night alone. Lynley's emotions take over and Sergeant Barbara Havers, Deborah and Simon St. James start their own investigation to protect Lynley's career.  A good mystery with all the drama between friends to spice up the story. Next up, Well-Schooled in Murder.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Rennie Airth

I just finished Rennie Airth's third book in the John Madden Mystery series, The Dead of Winter. The story is set in World War II England and there is much background of the time and place in detail. There is an assassin loose the likes of which Madden and the Chief Inspector Sinclair had never seen before. A young land girl working at Madden's farm is murdered as she makes her way to visit her Polish aunt. Suspicions point to a murder for hire from the continent. Things become only more mysterious when this same man seems to be on a killing spree and for what motive. Madden is retired from the Yard but he gets involved to help out his friend Sinclair, but also to seek justice for Rosa Novak, the young land girl he somehow feels responsible for. A good mystery, Airth is getting attention these days for his John Madden mysteries. "The first, River of Darkness, won the Grand Prix de Literature Policiere for best international crime novel of 2000 ans was nominated for Edgar, Anthony and Macavity awards."