Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown - Review

*Editor's Note: Welcome Ariel Heart once again and her review of a fun holiday-themed mystery. I have to say, I have read many of the Mrs. Murphy/Sneaky Pie Brown mysteries, and though I started reading them with some enthusiasm, I have not been able to finish the last couple I've tried, even one I received as a gift from someone who knows I love mysteries and cats! Ariel's review has made me reconsider, and I may try this one as, in addition to loving mysteries and cats, I love holiday themed books! Enjoy!!

Santa Clawed

Author: Rita Mae Brown

Copyright: Nov 2008 (Bantam); 288 pgs.

Series: #17 in Mrs. Murphy mysteries

Sensuality: N/A but adult themes

Mystery sub-genre: Cozy

Main Character: Harry Haristeen, former postmistress now farmer with her tiger-stripped cat Mrs. Murphy, gray cat Pewter and Corgi dog Tucker

Setting: Crozet, Virginia – Holiday season

Obtained book through: Library Find

If you love animal cozy mysteries, then the NY Times Best-selling Mrs. Murphy mysteries are a must. The series is dubbed after Mrs. Murphy, Harry’s tiger-stripped cat who runs the house. The books are even touted as being co-written by Sneaky Pie, Rita Mae’s cat so you get the full animal viewpoint during the stories.

Harry has recently married the local equine vet, Fair and is now a full time farmer. This installment is set during the holidays so eloquently portrayed by Miss Brown. Harry and her new hubby go tree shopping at The Brother’s of Love Tree Farm, only to find their perfect tree is already decorated with a dead body of a brother. Harry had gone to High School with the dead monk, Christopher Hewitt. She felt he was really turning his life around after being released from jail, and then his throat was slit and a Greek coin, an obol, placed in his mouth. Harry is rather shaken by the murder and begins investigating, again aided by her three pets. Soon, Brother Christopher is not the only murder victim – all with their throats slit and an obol in their mouths - and the usually bright holidays have a fearful pall fall over the town.

This story is a wonderful read, the characterization is finely done and the town richly brought to life with its myriad delightful characters. Rita Mae’s characteristic animal viewpoints are spot on and often laugh-out-loud funny. You actually start to wonder if Rita Mae doesn’t actually hear her animals for real to be able to write them so convincingly. The story is character driven and yet sports a solid mystery plot with a few surprises along the way. There is not one area I could think of that could be done better. Don’t let the multiple deaths deceive you, this book will still put you in a bright holiday mood. This is one of the best cozy mysteries around and I highly recommend it.

As Harry Haristeen walked across the large quad to the great hall, her two cats and corgi behind her, she wondered if people today could build as securely as our forefathers did. Seemed like things were built to fall apart. Grateful that she lived in an old farmhouse built about the same time as the church, she paused on her way to the work party long enough to make a snowball and throw it up in the air.

Tucker, the corgi, jumped up to catch it. As she did, the snowball chilled her teeth, so she dropped it.

“Dumb!” Pewter, the portly gray cat, laughed.

"I knew it would do that, but if she throws a ball, I have to catch it. That’s my job,” Tucker defended herself.

Harry decided to sprint the last two hundred yards to warm up.

The tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, shot past her. The shoveled walkway was covered with inches of fresh snow but easily negotiable.

Pewter, hating to be outdone, couldn’t get around Harry so she leapt onto the snow, where she promptly sank.

Tucker, trotting on the path, called out, “Dumb.”…

Upon entering the great hall, Harry inhaled the fragrance of oak burning in the two fireplaces, one at either end. The aroma of a well-tended fire added to winter’s allure. Harry loved all the seasons. Winter’s purity appealed to her. She loved being able to see the spine of the land, loved popping into a friend’s house for hot chocolate or serving the same. Born and raised here, she was buoyed up by close friendships. People might feel alienated in big cities, but she couldn’t imagine that emotion. Tied to the land, the people and animals that inhabited it, Harry knew she was a lucky soul.

I highly recommend this book. It has a good balance and is well written providing suspense, tens

ion, humor and even the holiday spirit in one package. By the end of the book, you will feel as though you have actually spent time in the small town of Crozet and have gotten to know some wonderful people.

Five out of Five Cozy Armchairs!

Ariel
About the reviewer:

A.F. Heart

http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/

Ms. Heart is a Colorado gal who does not like snow but loves the low bug population. She has been told she was an odd child for playing Cleopatra with her Barbies and dressing up her poodle. She is taking that active imagination and writing her first novel. She shares her writing progress (and much more) on her blog “Mysteries and My Musings.”

It's That Time of Year

If you actually sang the title of this entry, then you are in full-blown holiday mode, and so am I! Oh, I still have work to do... lots and lots of work. But I'm in the spirit.

And whatever you celebrate, whether it be:

Hanukkah - Begins sundown, Friday, December 11th thru the next 8 days.

Islamic New Year - December 18th

First Day of Winter - December 21st.

Christmas - December 25th

Kwanzaa - December 26th, thru January 1st

New Year's Eve - December 31st

I hope you enjoy the season, whatever it means to you.

And in that spirit, tomorrow I have a review of a Christmas-themed mystery - Santa Clawed by Rita Mae Brown, and Friday, a special treat, an article on writing the holiday-themed mystery by Maggie Sefton, author of the New York times bestselling Knitting Mysteries!

Enjoy all, and don't drink too much eggnog!

Death of a Turkey - Review

*Editor's Note: I don't know about anyone else, but I love holiday themed books, both romances and mysteries. Christmas isn't Christmas without a stack of Christmas Regency anthologies and Christmas cozy murder mysteries by my side. Getting to read them during the busiest time of years is sometimes another thing. Thanksgiving presents a dilemma, though, as Canadian Thanksgiving is a good month-and-a-half earlier than the American one. But it's a festive time of year, and I'll celebrate twice! Here, for all to enjoy, is a review of Death of a Turkey... enjoy!

Death of a Turkey

Author: Kate Borden

Copyright: 2005 (Berkley); 224 pgs.

Series: #3 in Peggy Jean Turner Mystery Series

Sensuality: N/A

Main Character: Peggy Jean (PJ) Turner, Mayor of Cobb’s Landing and proprietor of Tom’s Tools.

Setting: Cobb's Landing, a small New England town.

PJ is anticipating her favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. The house across the street from PJ is rented out to an angry woman named Prunella Post who seems to be PJ’s nemesis from the moment she arrived in town. Max, the wealthy financier who turned the economically failing Cobb’s Landing into a colonial-themed tourist town, has decided to turn Thanksgiving into a tourist day with a reenactment. To top it off, Chief of Police Stu McIntyre is coming back to town from time off, but first he needs PJ to tell his impossible mother that he is engaged and bringing his fiancée. The fiancée is hiding a dark past and somehow the obnoxious Prunella knows about it. Prunella Post is then found dead in the town square with a Turkey skewer sticking out of her – just like the kind PJ sells in her store.

PJ is a stronger female main character than many I have read and I liked that. She is an easy to like amateur sleuth who remains very close to her best friend from the age of two, Lavinia, who lives behind her and has a son who is PJ’s son’s best friend. The cozy factor is high in this series and that may appeal to some more than others, so beware. The very small town of Cobb’s Landing nicely comes to life to with details and its own past. The murderer and means were not difficult to deduce after enough information is revealed; it is the journey that is the story.

“The temperature had warmed to slightly above freezing, reducing the once glorious snow to crusty patches on lawns. The air was still, laced with a hint of bone-chilling fog. Peggy felt the damp of the wet concrete sidewalk seep through the soles of her boots and wished she’d worn her thick-soled running shoes. Too late to go back and change. She picked up the pace to keep the blood circulating in her slowly numbing toes. Buster trotted happily alongside, stopping occasionally to sniff a tree or leave his own mark – the canine equivalent of writing his name in the snow.”

The writing style is easy going and highlights PJ’s personality and outlook. All the subplots wrap up nicely for an overall enjoyable story and it seems to move along well without dragging. The deep friendship between PJ and Lavinia is well developed and a strong point of the book. If you enjoy your cozy mysteries for the entire cadre of characters becoming your family, as much if not more than the mystery itself, then this series is for you. If you want to delve into the Thanksgiving season before rushing headlong into Christmas, this book will put you into the turkey-day frame of mind.

Three-and-a-half armchairs out of five.

Ariel
About the reviewer:

A.F. Heart

http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/

Ms. Heart is a Colorado gal who does not like snow but loves the low bug population. She has been told she was an odd child for playing Cleopatra with her Barbies and dressing up her poodle. She is taking that active imagination and writing her first novel. She shares her writing progress (and much more) on her blog “Mysteries and My Musings.”

Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil - Audio Book Review

*Editor's note: Here's another great review from Ariel Heart, this time of an audio book! And just in time for Hallowe'en, it's of an Aunt Dimity ghost mystery! Enjoy.

Aunt Dimity Beats The Devil by Nancy Atherton (narrated by Christina Moore)

Lori Shepherd is on her way to the creepy Wyrdhurst Castle in northern England to appraise a large private library. Traveling in bad weather, Lori narrowly escapes a landslide that sweeps her Range Rover away. Finally arriving at isolated Wyrdhurst after being rescued by a charming stranger, Lori is embroiled in a haunted castle with the resident ghost influencing her to act uncharacteristically, finds tales of forbidden love, murder and hidden treasure amidst the secret passageways and massive library. Are there really ghosts on the third floor scaring the young owner, Nicole, or is a real person behind it? There is something afoot at Wyrdhurst and Lori – with a little help from the ghostly Aunt Dimity communicating through an innocent journal – is just the person to uncover the past and clear up the present.

I chose the audio version and I must say that Christina Moore is phenomenal as the narrator. The entire book comes to life as Christina subtly changes character voices employing accents, cadence and tone. Without any sound effects, Christina Moore performed the story rather than just read it and I quickly felt like I was listening to a riveting old time radio theatre.

The writing style is flowing and very effective as this opening section demonstrates:

“It was a dark and stormy afternoon on the high moors of Northumberland. A cold October rain battered the Range Rover’s roof and the fog was as thick as porridge. I hoped my hosts at Wyrdhurst Hall would hold high tea for me, because it looked as though I might be a bit late.

Thanks to the murky weather, I’d almost certainly missed the turnoff for Wyrdhurst’s gated drive. To judge by the Rover’s lurching progress, I’d somehow left the paved road altogether and veered onto a narrow, muddy track that seemed to be climbing straight into the clouds.

I could do nothing but climb with it. The moorland rose steeply to my right and fell sharply to my left. There was no place to turn around and I had no intention of backing down a road I could barely see.”

Aunt Dimity books are very cozy. The murder is often in the past but the story still carries the reader along. The main character, Lori, is bright and determined yet with realistic faults. The story employs the use of old letters discovered hidden in books to piece together the history of a teen girl, Claire, raised in the castle who fell in love with a young man whom her father refused to accept and the resulting sad chain of events and hidden treasure yet to be found. There is some fine layering of subplots past and present that make this a bona fide delight of a read.

If you are looking for a classic style tale with the remote setting, creepy atmosphere that isn’t horror or too scary, this is the book for you – and consider the 6 CD audio version as an added treat. But note that this is still an adult book and although mild in violence it is not suitable for younger readers because of “adult themes” that are raised in the story. The ending is satisfactory although one aspect I felt had little, if any, evidence presented prior.

Four out of Five Cozy Armchairs!

About the reviewer:

A.F. Heart

http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/

Ms. Heart is a Colorado gal who does not like snow but loves the low bug population. She has been told she was an odd child for playing Cleopatra with her Barbies and dressing up her poodle. She is taking that active imagination and writing her first novel. She shares her writing progress (and much more) on her blog “Mysteries and My Musings.”

Pretty is as Pretty Dies - Review

*Editor's Note: Welcome again to reviewer Ariel Heart. This time I'm interested in reader comments... did this review give you enough information? Has it made you want to read the book? Skip it? Let us know!

Pretty is as Pretty Dies

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0738714801
ISBN-13: 978-0738714806

Myrtle Clover is eighty-something and has an attitude. Don't get her started! When her son Red signs her up for "altar duty" at church to keep her out of his hair, she retaliates with filling her front yard chock full of gnomes. Why? Because she lives across the street from her son and it is a daily reminder he has angered her. Yes, Myrtle is a handful.

A gnome village miraculously mushroomed overnight in Myrtle’s yard while Red slept. Ceramic gnome characters, all engaged in a variety of cute activities, graced her front lawn. Elaine walked past her kitchen window. She blinked. ‘’Oh Lord. Your mom’s called out the gnome patrol, Red. What did you do?”

“What?” Red pushed the curtain aside. He groaned and pressed his hands against his eyes, hoping when he opened them the image of a hundred ceramic gnomes cluttering his mother’s yard across the street would have vanished. He was disappointed.

The altar duty her son signed her up for is the reason that she stumbles upon the body of detested local real estate agent Parke Stockard in the church sanctuary. Myrtle takes this as a perfect opportunity to show her son she isn't senile nor is she ready for a life of soap operas.

There is some humor between Red (who is the Chief of Police) and Myrtle when Red conspires to let Myrtle overhear false clues and send her on wild goose chase to keep her out of trouble. But Myrtle takes the wild goose chase and uncovers Parke having an affair with the local politician. Myrtle is more than a match for her son and she quickly has a list of suspects. Was it the local politician, or maybe his wife, perhaps it was Parke’s drug-using son, the town reporter, the reporter’s mother is even a suspect. It seems too many people wanted troublesome Parke gone.

What Myrtle really needs, as she sees it, is a side kick! Will the new-to-the-area older gentleman take up the job and assist Myrtle? Will Myrtle's never subtle snooping get her in trouble with the real killer? This is the classic cozy with tongue-in-cheek humor and small town antics. It is deceptively simple while it draws you in adding to the charm of the overall story. The wrap-up of the murder is adequate and the town and characters are nicely brought to life. The only drawback is, it seems short, but perhaps that is a sign of how the reader is drawn into the story.

A.F. Heart

http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/

About the reviewer: Ms. Heart is a Colorado gal who does not like snow but loves the low bug population. She has been told she was an odd child for playing Cleopatra with her Barbies and dressing up her poodle. She is taking that active imagination and writing her first novel. She shares her writing progress (and much more) on her blog “Mysteries and My Musings.”

Four 'Cozy Armchairs' out of five!

Review - the Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse - Leann Sweeney

*Editor's Note: Welcome to Ariel Heart, a new CMM reviewer. In this light and entertaining review of The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse, Ariel gave me enough reason to go looking for Ms. Sweeney's new mystery! Enjoy!

The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse

by Leann Sweeney

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Signet (May 5, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0451225740

ISBN-13: 978-0451225740

Reviewed by: Ariel Heart

Recently widowed Jillian Hart is still grieving and quickly becoming a recluse when one of her cats is stolen. She and her husband had moved to Mercy and into their dream home just prior to his death six months ago. Her three cats are her dearest companions for they have comforted her in her loss. Jillian will do whatever it takes to get her furry best friend back home, even get out, meet people and get to know the small town of Mercy. Before long she has discovered the criminal who stole her cat, and she goes marching in to confront him and get her cat back. Only she marches into a fresh murder scene. The victim, Flake Wilkerson, was an unpopular cat thief but a butcher knife in the gut is some serious anger.

Why was he taking down missing cat posters all over town and apparently snagging the cats himself? Who murdered Flake and stole his computer? Was it the hotheaded owner of the town pet rescue who had prior run-ins with him? Was it his daughter who seems to have hated her own father? Was it an acquaintance yet unidentified? Jillian feels compelled to reunite the stolen cats with their owners and uncover some answers in theprocess.

In this first book of a new series we see Jillian coming out of the grief process, slow but sure. She is compassionate, determined and quick to make friends once she gets out among her new neighbors. She is a likable quilt maker and cat lover. This is a character that will appeal to many who love cozies. The following quote is Jillian speaking with the chief of police and shows Jillian’s resolve.

His eyes darkened. Made him look all brooding in a Gothic novel sort of way. “Please don’t get in my way. A brutal crime was committed, Jillian. That should scare you, I know it scares me.”

"After what I’ve been through this past year, I’m done being scared about what life throws at me. I’ll try hard not

to get in your way, but I won’t be sitting around, either. Cat people may have lost their friends because of this man.”

The writing style is breezy and friendly as the following quote demonstrates:

We sped through town in her small SUV, a beat up RAV4, and she blasted “Sweet Home Alabama” on the stereo all the way to our destination. Classic rock is great but not played loud enough that the Martians can hear the music. My ears and brain were immensely grateful when we arrived at Ed’s Swap Shop. The temperature had risen probably twenty degrees over the course of the day, and I shed my sweater before I got out of the Toyota.

The “shop” was actually a small one-story house desperately in need of fresh paint. The gutters sagged, and a broken window had been repaired with duct tape. Reminded me of the problem that had led me here today. That stupid broken window.

Once we passed through a rusty front gate, I realized the house was in better shape than anything else on the property. The yard overflowed with tires, lawn mowers, cement birdbaths, old bed springs and so much other decrepit stuff that we had to zigzag as if we were walking through a minefield to get to the weather-beaten front door.

Candace was far more adept at zigzagging than I was; I nearly fell twice. I decided she must do obstacle courses in her spare time. Either that or she’d made this trip many times before. She didn’t bother to knock but called out, “Ed Duffy, where you at?” as we went inside.

“That you Candy?” A man with shaggy gray hair and a full beard that reached his shirt collar stood squinting at us from behind a long glass display case. He wore overalls and a welcoming smile.

Witness Protection Program? I thought.

The town is populated with a likable cast; the speed demon deputy who loves forensics, the grumpy chief of police, the lipstick challenged coffee shop owner, the flamboyant coroner’s deputy, the town junk collector and a potential future love interest. Ms Sweeney effectively portrays the undercurrents of small town intertwined relationships and the quagmire it presents to a newcomer. She weaves a few strands of the supporting character’s personal lives into the mix and brings the community bustling to life, which I believe is her strong point.

The plot and pacing drew me in and kept me reading and the ending, while not a bombshell revelation was satisfying. This is a pleasant and quick read that cozy mystery fans will devour and be clamoring for more.

Who knew cats and quilting could be so dangerous – or so fun?

A.F. Heart

http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/

About me: Ms. Heart is a Colorado gal who does not like snow but loves the low bug population. She has been told she was an odd child for playing Cleopatra with her Barbies and dressing up her poodle. She is taking that active imagination and writing her first novel. She shares her writing progress (and much more) on her blog “Mysteries and My Musings.”

Leann Sweeney's website: http://www.leannsweeney.com/

Four 'Cozy Armchairs' out of five!

Coming soon...

Just a brief note... we have some wonderful posts coming up in the next few days.

Thursday, September 17th, 2009 - We host Marilyn Meredith, author of the Tempe Crabtree mysteries, for a Thursday edition of 'Why I Write Mysteries'.

Friday, September 18th, 2009 - Ariel Heart, a new CMM reviewer, will review The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney

Saturday, September 19th, 2009 - CMM is proud to present a fascinating article on disabled characters in murder mysteries: When Disability Surpasses Mystery - Robert P. Bennett

Also, coming soon... a new feature, Why I Read Mysteries. Drop me a line if you'd like to contribute, and tell us why YOU read mysteries!

I'm still looking for guest bloggers for:

Why I Write Mysteries
Why I Read Mysteries
Cozy Murder Mystery Reviews
Or...
Topical articles of interest to cozy murder mystery readers!

I'm also looking for CMM reader generated stories on:

Favorite Holiday Mysteries - Hallowe'en, Christmas, Hannukah, etc.

Author Profiles - Classic and Modern Authors