Moonlight Murder Mystery Club

Moonlight Murder

Mystery Club

BLAKE RIVERS

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Sage Holloway, a baker, moves back to Crescent Harbor, where everyone knows your name, especially Margaret. A disliked entrepreneur is found dead in his office, and Sage's employee is the prime suspect.

But this case is a no-brainer; readers of this cozy mystery will have the answer halfway through. Sage is the only one asking questions to help her employee, a young single mother.

Sage names the black cat Shadow, who moves in and steals the show. His antics and Margaret's comments lead Sage to ask the right questions that solve the crime.

Blake Rivers' writing is smooth, easy to read, and easy to follow. Her characters will hold up in the series, and a love story is simmering in the background.

Fun Read. https://amzn.to/4ilPnqd

The Echanted Garden Cafe

THE ENCHANTED

GARDEN CAFÉ

Abigail Drake

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

At first, I thought ENCHANTED was a normal mystery. However, this story is a mishmash of comedy, drama, and romance.

The characters range from Fiona, a conservative skeptic, to her mother and friends, free spirits: palm and card readers, a Trans clothing store owner, and other interesting people. An elderly saxophone player is attacked, leading to a whirlwind of events.

A land grab sits at the center of the South Side's Enchanted Garden predicament and the question of whether it will survive as the community's linchpin. The developer's instigators are closer than one would think, right up to the end.

Fast-paced read with a couple of unnecessary descriptive sex scenes that don't serve the plot. The characters are lovable enough to be used in the second book in the series.

Good Read. https://amzn.to/3TcJK3i

 

BEHAVE, The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

BEHAVE

THE BIOLOGY OF HUMANS

AT OUR BEST AND WORST

 

ROBERT M. SAPOLSKY

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Mr. Sapolsky examines how humans behave because of their physical wiring, starting with the brain. As the parts of the brain develop, the propensity towards good or evil evolves.

His thesis is extensive; it requires patience to read and an inquisitive mind. Have a dictionary available unless you have a medical vocabulary.

Otherwise, his stories move along interestingly and will keep the reader engaged. It is detailed and, at times, boring.

However, you will learn many things about yourself by reading this book, as I did. Take your time reading this exceptionally well-written book on physiology, philosophy, and the psychology of human development.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/45ZM9Bh

Murder at an English Pub

MURDER AT AN

ENGLISH PUB

Sarah Vane Mysteries Book 1

ALICE CASTLE

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Sarah, a retired doctor, moves to a small seaside town, where her friend Daphne lives. They find a dead body in Daphne's beach hut that she just purchased.

The investigation is not à la Miss Maple. Sarah and Daphne mull through a question-and-answer feast of people who are acquaintances of the murdered - all but one.

Unlike other English mysteries I have read, this one does not have a heroine who solves the crime. The murderer does.

Easy to read, but not a good lead-in to a cozy mystery series. However, Ms. Castle's English prose is flavorful.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/45CLp4W

Bed, Breakfast & Bones

BED, BREAKFAST, & BONES

Carolyn L. Dean

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

 

When Amanda Graham inherits an old bed and breakfast from her unlikable uncle, who recently passed away, she claims it, and a dead body is found in the garden. Being new to Ravenwood Cove, she sets out to learn about her relative and why he is the prime suspect.

Amanda has conflicts with the "Powers to Be" over opening the B&B while searching for the murderer. She becomes friendly with the Cove's citizens, who become allies. The information she gathers leads to a few twists and turns.

Gutsy Amanda remodels the building little by little, investigates, and learns to love the Cove and the people. Unsure whether she can open the B&B, she unravels the mystery to an unusual ending.

Ms. Dean's characters make a strong foundation for a cozy mystery series, and the prose flows well, making it easy to follow. If you like cozy mysteries, pick up this series.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4hATU7U

 

NOT YOU, IT'S ME

NOT YOU, IT'S ME

A Boston Love Story #1

JULIE JOHNSON

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Gemma, an aspiring artist, is kissed by Chase behind the basketball team's bench at a national championship game while her date is on his cell phone. The kiss is seen across global media because of who Chase is.

Gemma runs away as security heads their way. She runs into a comical love-hate whirlwind adventure. She and Chase, a billionaire, live in two different worlds that collide.

That one kiss leads through conflicts of hate, greed, passion, and individual dilemmas. Those struggles collide into a close encounter with death.

'NOT YOU' is a love story that ends like all of them, but with a twist that will have lovers of the genre wanting more Boston Love Stories.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4hkvC1E

 

Murder in Hamstead

MURDER IN HAMPSTEAD

Sabina Manea

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

As the book cover reads, this is a classic 2021 London whodunnit, with characters, except for one, who are trained investigators. The main character, Lucia Steer, is an ex-lawyer, now an interior decorator, involved in investigating the murder of her new client.

 Lucia's intuitive takeover of the murder case is impressive, like a Sherlock Holmes conundrum. The action focuses on uncovering relevant evidence.

Lucia does this so well that Detective Chief Inspector Carliss falls in line and documents it. With help from Lucia's friend Nina, a key piece of evidence emerges, leading to the arrest of the killer, who had gone unnoticed throughout the novel.

Ms. Manea does an excellent job in producing this whodunnit. HANSTEAD is a consuming read.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4bkXD5r