The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson

"Teacher wanted at the end of the world." It's exactly the kind of thing Una needs!

It’s 1985 and Una can barely make ends meet as a teacher. But the posting for a position in Skálar is perfect! Not only does it come with room and board included, the remote location means there’s nothing else to spend money on either. Una may finally be able to save enough for a deposit on a place of her own. 

Plus, the location means getting away from things Una has been trying to escape in her personal life. 

Unfortunately, Una doesn’t realize exactly what she’s in for until she arrives. She’s only got two students. In fact, the town is all but abandoned, with just ten residents total. And they aren’t exactly warm to outsiders. 

Una can deal with most of it. But the nightmares and the strange sounds she hears at night are too much for her to ignore. And when a villager dies suddenly, Una realizes that she can’t ignore what’s happening around her any longer. 

Ragnar Jónasson’s latest is a stand alone that combines a mystery inspired by the very real one with a ghost story set in one of the most remote areas of Iceland. It makes for a truly compelling and eerie read that I enjoyed immensely!

In 1974, two men disappeared in Iceland. Not only were they never found, questions still remain today regarding the two cases. There’s an entire documentary about the cases on Netflix right now. Of course the book is only inspired by those events. The setting for the story, the remote village of Skálar, was completely abandoned by 1985 and, as far as anyone knows, has no ties to the case at all. But it does make for a great premise and a perfect setting!

Una is desperate to escape her past. And Skálar might jus offer that. But the remote location plays havoc on her mental health, especially considering her access to alcohol. And the locals notice. Which is why, when she considers asking about the girl she sees in her dreams and the song she hears in her little apartment, she’s tries to hide her fears. 

And yet, the haunting melody and the little girl are too much to ignore. Especially after the town is struck by tragedy. 

Una isn’t treated badly, per se. But she is discouraged from asking too many questions about the townspeople and their past. It’s an insular community that keeps their secrets close and definitely doesn’t welcome nosy outsiders. Which is how Una is soon perceived. 

I really loved this latest from Jónasson. Una is carrying some really heavy weight when she arrives in town. It’s something that’s revealed as the story progresses. So really this is the kind of story that unfolds in a lot of different layers: Una’s story, the truth behind the “ghost,” the mysterious death that occurs, and how it all ties into the missing men (which comes out in part through an unnamed narrator). It makes for a somewhat slower pacing, but not a true slow burn. In fact, while there’s a lot of development, I was drawn in quite easily and found it to be a rather quick read simply because I was so sucked in! No doubt this is because of the perfect union of Jónasson’s writing and Victoria Cribb’s seamless translation!

The Girl Who Died is out now in paperback. 

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Desolation Canyon by P. J. Tracy

This follow up to Deep Into the Dark brings Nolan, Sam, and Remy back for another LA mystery. 

Maggie is still getting over the fact that she killed a man in the line of duty. He deserved it, but taking a life isn't something to take lightly. And when you add family drama on top of that, Maggie is definitely in need of a relaxing drink with a colleague she knows could be much more. 

Stumbling upon a body was not part of the plan!

Meanwhile, a desert run leads to Sam Easton's involvement in a truly strange case that turns out to be connected to Maggie's. 

Sam had meant to catch up with his friend Lenny after his run in Desolation Canyon, but it turns out Lenny's taken a few days off. Knowing the man is likely on his boat, Sam takes a trip out only to find signs of a struggle and a very confused Lenny. Apparently Lenny had offered shelter to a woman and her daughter on the run from the Children of the Desert, a group that offers self help retreats but sounds more like a cult. And when Sam learns the few details Lenny knows about the woman's escape, they both know her disappearance can't mean anything good. 

I am really enjoying this new series from Tracy!

This is a direct follow up to Deep Into the Dark, taking place shortly after the events in that book. 

Maggie and Sam have both come a long way in a short period of time. 

As mentioned, Maggie has been dealing with the fact that she killed a man. She's also been grieving the loss of her brother. The aftermath of recent events have meant a bit of healing in terms of her relationship with her family, so much so that her mother has even signed on for a retreat to deal with the loss. A retreat hosted by the Children of the Desert. 

Sam is making headway with therapy and has started to connect with others, making a real effort where he's previously been closed off. Which kind of lands him in hot water—again. 

Sam knows Lenny well enough to know that the man has no immediate family. So hearing that he's playing host to his daughter and granddaughter immediately alerts Sam to the fact that something is off. But it's the very clear signs of struggle on Lenny's boat that seals the deal for Sam. No way is he letting Lenny deal with this on his own, even if it means getting the attention of some really nasty people. 

Maggie's case is a complicated one. A divorced, well-to-do attorney who appears to have committed suicide. But Maggie suspects there's something more to the case. 

As with the previous outing, the book is focused on a whole cast of characters, which I've mentioned is a particular favorite element of the previous series as well. 

Desolation Canyon is another quick read with great plotting! And given how different it is from Deep Into the Dark, I really can't wait to see what comes next!

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The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

On New Year’s Eve, 1999, the town of Linden, New Jersey is rocked to its core by a brutal mass killing. Four teenage girls and one man, the night staff at the local Blockbuster Video, are attacked after closing. Only one of them survives. The killer, identified as a local teenage boy named Vince Whitaker, flees after being released due to too little evidence and has evaded capture ever since. 

It’s 2015 and although she’s a trained therapist, Ella Monroe, the sole survivor of the Blockbuster case, still carries the trauma of that event with her every day. And when she receives a call about another, eerily similar case, she knows she has to help. Because, once again, there’s a single survivor. And Ella is the only one who knows exactly what the girl is going through. 

The case is a joint investigation between local PD and the FBI. The latter involved because of the suspicion that the killer could be the same from the 1999 case. Sarah Keller is assigned that part of the case and is explicitly told not to step on the locals’ toes. But no one has seen Whitaker since 1999. And why, if he’s been gone all this time, would he return to kill again?

It’s appropriate that this book begins in a video store because this book has excellent cinematic qualities!

It’s odd to note that there’s a nostalgic aspect to reading this, but it can’t be helped in my case. I spent a lot of time in video stores in my youth. I even worked in one for a while. Stopping by Hollywood Video on my way home from working at the bookstore was a nightly event that I actually kind of miss. 

That aside, thankfully my experience was a good one. I can’t even recall any particularly nasty customers, to be totally honest. (There had to have been some, the late fees some of those folks racked up were astronomical!)

Now that’s out of the way, let’s get into the meat of the story!

Two mass killings, sixteen years apart And it quickly becomes clear that the investigation into the first case was lacking. The cops thought they had their guy. They were so certain that once they set their eyes on him, they didn’t even bother to try and figure out the why. 

So when it happens again, that’s one of the many things Keller has to figure out. Why then and why now? Why the video store? Was there a specific target? There are so many questions, in fact, that it’s clear Keller can’t limit her investigation just to finding Whitaker. 

Meanwhile, Ella finds herself quickly invested in the survivor of this latest murder. A teen orphan in foster care with aspirations of becoming a journalist. And it turns out she’s well versed in the Blockbuster case. 

The characters in particular are a big draw in this book. First there’s Keller, who I adore! A massively pregnant federal agent with a partner who is supportive and loving…you just don’t see that much in crime fiction (she reminded me a bit of Marge in Fargo). 

Then you’ve got Ella, who is understandably damaged by her experiences. But it’s not just surviving the 1999 killing. Her family has suffered more than it’s fair share of trauma.

Chris, who I didn’t mention above, is a public defender who’s become a bit jaded by his job. He, too, has carried the weight of the Blockbuster murders with him all these years—his brother was accused of the crime. Their home life was pretty awful and in the wake of the crime, he was actually put into foster care himself and adopted, which has allowed him to return to the area somewhat anonymously. As a lawyer, he’s all too aware of how thin the case was against his brother. And now he feels like he’s in a position to help him. But he’s had no contact with him since he disappeared and he can’t imagine that Vince could be responsible for another crime. 

We get POV chapters from each of these characters, but there are actually quite a few additional characters who shine throughout the novel. 

But Becky, how’s the plot? It’s great! I definitely had my suspicions about the killer and eventually I was proven right. But I wouldn’t say it was an easy guess. I think, rather, that it’s Finlay’s intention all along for the reader to put together the hints peppered throughout and figure out the who and why alongside the characters themselves. Which is definitely part of the fun!

The Night Shift is out now from Minotaur. If you enjoy fast-paced crime fiction with strong characters, this is definitely the read for you!

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Deep Into the Dark by P.J. Tracy

Sam was only trying to help when he offered Melody his couch after her boyfriend hit her. But the next day, the man is found dead and Melody and Sam are the prime suspects. 

Margaret Nolan sympathizes with Sam. As a vet whose story is well known, Sam has had more than his fair share of troubles. And Margaret comes from a long line of career military. Her own brother was recently killed in action. That Margaret chose to be a cop instead of joining up makes her a bit of a black sheep in her family. 

So yes, maybe she's a little too close to Sam even though she's only just met him. But he doesn't seem to her like a killer. Until another body is discovered. 

With a killer very clearly stalking them and the police determined to pin multiple murders on one or both of them, Sam and Melody are forced to untangle the clues in order to clear their names and stay alive!

This is the start of a brand new series by P.J. Tracy and it is fabulous!

(A quick note about the author: P.J. Tracy used to be a mother daughter writing team. Unfortunately, P.J. passed away and her daughter has continued writing solo under the pen name.)

If you're at all familiar with P.J. Tracy's Monkeewrench series, then you know that series focused on a whole cast of characters and it's much the same with this new series. 

Detective Margaret Nolan is an up-and-coming detective. She's paired with the older, more experienced Al Crawford. She's also crushing on another detective, Remy Beaudreau, who is neck deep in a serial killer case when Margaret's case begins. 

Sam is a vet working in a bar in LA and he's a mess. The scarred face may be obvious to those who see him, but being the only survivor of his unit means guilt and nightmares that have all but ruined his marriage. 

He has a very protective streak when it comes to friends. And he considers Melody a friend. 

Melody is an ex musician and recovering addict trying to finish her degree. Initially she thought she was lucky to end up with a rich boyfriend she didn't have to hide her identity from. But his controlling nature and jealousy rear their ugly heads just before he's murdered. And of course Melody has an undeniable motive. 

It's clear that Tracy has plans for these characters. Each one is built and developed extremely well, but there's also definite room for them to grow as the series continues. 

And like any successful series, Nolan and Sam in particular are the kinds of characters you want to follow through multiple books!

I devoured this first in the series and am only embarrassed that it took me a year to get to it—but I did dive immediately into the second book as soon as I finished!

If you're a fan of the Monkeewrench series, you're going to love Deep Into the Dark! It's available now from Minotaur. 

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A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Happy book birthday to Stacy Willingham! Her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, is out today and you should all scurry out and buy a copy! Fair warning, you will be up late with this one :)

Chloe Davis is the daughter of a serial killer. And it's hung over her like a shadow her entire life. 

To everyone on the outside, Chloe would appear to have it all together these days. A successful psychiatrist, engaged to be married, a gorgeous home...but underneath that facade, she's barely holding it together. And when a teen patient goes missing, everything starts to fall apart. 

This was an absolutely page-turning thriller. I know that gets thrown around a lot, but I don't say it lightly here. 

First, there's the premise. It's not unusual to wonder what happens to the people who fall into the orbit of criminals—whether by coincidence or blood. 

Chloe was just a child when her father was arrested for murder. She lived in a small town where everyone knew her family. It's not the kind of thing you can easily get away from. 

But she built a life beyond that anyway. She moved to Baton Rouge and she focuses on helping troubled teens. She's done everything right. 

But yet, her father's crimes haunt her. 

And that becomes more and more clear when her patient disappears. Everyone around her is afraid that Chloe is headed down a dark path, especially when she starts to draw connections between what's happening today and the murders of her childhood. 

Is she imagining it?

Second, the setting! I'm from Louisiana and while I'm always drawn to books set there, a lot of them don't necessarily ring true. That was not an issue with Willingham's debut! Not at all!

Finally, there's the plot. I love trying to figure out how a thriller or mystery will end and A Flicker in the Dark left me guessing the whole way through. Every time I thought I had it figured out, Willingham threw another twist at me!

A Flicker in the Dark is a fabulous debut perfect for fans of Jennifer Hillier and Catherine Ryan Howard. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I cannot wait to see what Stacy Willingham will do next!

Just a little bonus, but it was recently announced that Emma Stone's production company will be adapting the book for HBO Max! 

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These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

For eight years, Cooper has lived in a cabin in the woods with his young daughter, Finch. They're completely cut off from the outside world. Isolated and reliant on Cooper's old army buddy, Jake—who owns the cabin they call home, to bring them supplies. 

Cooper and Finch aren't their real names, just the ones they share with the only other person they ever see, an old hermit who calls himself Scotland. And Cooper would really rather they not see or speak to him either. 

Cooper doesn't trust easily. 

But one day Jake doesn't arrive for his annual supply run. And Cooper and Finch see a girl in the woods. A girl with a camera. And now, everything that Cooper has built for him and his daughter is in danger of falling apart. 

Wow. These Silent Woods is an amazing read. With the pacing of a thriller but the heart of something much deeper, this is the kind of book that keeps you up all night and really stays with you long after you finish. 

Cooper has secrets in his past. Lots of them. 

He's a retired Ranger who served four tours before returning to his small town home. And he doesn't trust anyone except Finch and Jake. 

He has his routines and the little family of two lives a quiet but comfortable life in the wilderness. It's only occasionally broken by invasions from the outside world—the rare hiker who stumbles on the cabin. And in that event, Cooper and Finch never allow themselves to be seen. 

But one day a young girl appears in the woods. And Finch becomes obsessed. 

That young girl is the start of a series of events that turns Cooper's carefully manufactured world upside down!

This is my introduction to Kimi Cunningham Grant's writing and I have to say that it packs a huge punch. It was easy to sink into the story and absolutely lose myself. And I was so utterly invested in Cooper's story that the book actually gave me nightmares. It's not really THAT kind of book, but becoming in entrenched in Cooper and Finch's lives for just under 300 pages was a whole experience for me! 

The self-imposed isolation and the literal isolation of the setting felt real to me. Not only that, but Cooper's determination to protect his daughter and the revelations of exactly what prompted that hit me hard as parent. (Not that I think you need to be a parent to get it at all!)

These Silent Woods is a must read this fall and Kimi Cunningham Grant's books are going on my must have list immediately!

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The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Alice Lindstedt's dream is to become a well known filmmaker and her fist film is a passion project she's long wanted to produce: The story of Silvertjarn and the disappearance of all of its residents, including Alice's grandmother's family. 

No one knows what happened in Silvertjarn. Everyone seems to have vanished without a trace overnight. Everyone except a newborn baby. And she's not all the villagers' left behind either. This story has followed Alice's family for three generations and now she wants to be the one to solve the mystery. 

Alice has enough funding in place for an exploratory visit, the goal of which is to map out the film's script while also filming enough B-roll to put together a crowd funding campaign. But almost as soon as she and her crew arrive, things start to turn sour. And it soon becomes clear that they're not alone in the abandoned town. Someone is watching them. Someone is playing with them. And that someone seems intent on not letting them leave!

Camilla Sten's US debut is so much fun! Billed as The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar, it's a perfectly creepy blend of horror and thriller elements to appeal to readers of both genres!

Alice doesn't keep secret the fact that she has a personal connection to Silvertjarn. But she is keeping a secret or two from her crew. And it's those secrets that are the beginning of the problems for her. 

Well, those and her history with an old classmate and fellow crew member. 

They begin with five: Alice and her friend Tone; Max an old classmate and her first backer; Emmy, a talented filmmaker who has a history with Alice; and Robert, Emmy's boyfriend and second cameraman.

The story alternates between present day and 1959 leading up to the town's disappearance. And while Sten does a great job of building suspense and tension from the start, things really get moving when it's revealed exactly what searchers discovered in Silvertjarn after everyone vanished. 

This book just oozes atmosphere! I loved everything about it and absolutely cannot wait to see what's we're in for from Sten next! And I sincerely hope this means we'll be seeing her backlist in translation here. Sten is the author of, best I can tell, five books to date including one coauthored with her mother, Viveca Sten. The Lost Village is the first title available here in the States and I'm dying for more!

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Back of Beyond by C.J. Box

Cody Hoyt is a cop with a drinking problem. But recently he's decided to make a go of being sober, if nothing else so he can be a better role model for his teenage son. 

All of that is upended when his sponsor turns up dead, the victim of an apparent accidental fire. At least, that's what the open bottle of liquor recovered at the scene would suggest. But Cody knows the man wouldn't have thrown away years of sobriety. He also knows that there are things about the scene that don't add up. Things that point to homicide. 

Unfortunately, Cody makes the mistake of shooting the coroner and getting suspended. And then he finds out there's a connection between his sponsor's death and an outdoor adventure group that just so happens to be hosting his wife's new husband and Cody's own son. Now the investigation is about more than justice for his friend, it's about saving his son!

C.J. Box is the author of the wildly popular and long running Joe Pickett series. And what kind of respectable mystery/thriller fan am I that I haven't read any of those?! To be fair, I have read Box's stand alone, Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, which I read in one sitting because it's that fabulous!

Back of Beyond is the first book to feature Cody Hoyt and also the first book in the Highway Quartet (which has grown beyond four books). Book two, The Highway, is the basis of Big Sky a new TV show premiering in November. And beyond it being the second book in the series, it brings back some characters (other than Cody and his son) from Back of Beyond. So it's fortunate that I can never easily bring myself to start a series mid stride, but have to start from the beginning by habit!

Cody is a likable but complicated character. He's got a big drinking problem, he tends to find it hard to trust people (and vice versa), and while the crusty detective who bucks authority makes for a great lead character in a series, Box explores a bit more of the complications that creates within the job of actual policing here. 

Cody has, in fact, pretty much burned every bridge he has. His wife, his colleagues, everyone except the man who was helping him through AA, who's now dead. So it's understandable that Cody would be reaching for something beyond accidental death or, worse, suicide. Though he is careful to bring in another detective and ask for his take on the scene before making any comment about his own thoughts. Which is to say, Cody is very good at his job even if he doesn't play well with others. 

The book transitions pretty quickly from the tiny town Cody calls home to the wilds of Yellowstone. It's remote, it's dangerous, and it's clear from the start that there's something going on with the actual tour outfit, thanks to a second narrator, Gracie Sullivan. 

Poor Gracie. Her father wants to connect with her and her older sister, Danielle, by taking them on this trip. And Gracie is actually interested in the experience. But Gracie is an observant person and she quickly deduces that there's something not quite right going on. I loved her, but she gets kidnapped in book two along with Danielle! 

Back of Beyond is a fun and engaging mystery. I loved the setting and I'm looking forward to diving into book two ahead of the show. (And continuing the series beyond that as well.) I'm always in the mood for a good PI series, and this one just might fit the bill. We'll have to see as the main character moves beyond Cody in The Highway. 

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The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson

It's February, 1988, and bodies have been found on a remote farm in Iceland. 

Hulda Hermannsdóttir has only just returned to work as a police officer, after facing her own family tragedy at Christmas. But she insists she's ready. 

The farm is a shocking scene, with multiple dead and no immediately obvious suspect. And while even Hulda herself would admit that it's too early, the case does provide a distraction that she's much in need of. 

It doesn't take long for Hulda to begin to uncover evidence that lay hidden from those around her. But can she set her own issues aside in order to focus on the investigation at hand?

And here we are at the end of the Hulda series, which is actually the beginning!

This is by far my favorite of the Hulda series, and for many reasons. First, it's Hulda's origin story. The one we've been waiting for. And it's just as tragic as you imagined it would be. If you chose not to read the series in order and instead started here at the end (the beginning), then you had no time to prepare, really. 

The second reason this is my favorite, though, is that it's basically a Christmas book. I'd never consider myself a fan of Christmas books by any means: basically, I find it stifling to feel as though I can only read a book at a certain time of year. This is not THAT kind of Christmas book. But it does take place at Christmas, so if you wanted to save it (and savor it) then, you'd be well within your rights. Especially considering it's set in Iceland, the country with Jolabokaflod!

Jónasson sets the scene so perfectly here! Erla is up late when we meet her, reading a book—her last from the local library and so her last new book until Christmas. And it's their tradition to read on Christmas Eve anyway, so she's ok to wait. 

But then a stranger arrives at the farm. And Erla is suspicious. His story doesn't line up, his behavior is concerning, and their farm is already so isolated...

Erla and Hulda are our two main viewpoints, but there are a couple of others, and the story plays out in the days leading up to Christmas and Hulda's investigation almost two months later. 

This book is darker in my opinion than the previous two. In part because we finally get a story that's been alluded to in the previous two outings. But it's the crime in the farmhouse itself that I think makes it darker. And certainly it's a bit more graphic than the other two as well. 

Never fear, though! Jónasson falls on the lighter end of the Nordic Noir spectrum!

The Mist is gritty and atmospheric, snowfilled and dark (literally and figuratively), and an utterly perfect seasonal read no matter when you decide to dive in. I read it in shorts and flip flops and still felt the chill of winter deep in my bones!

The Mist is out now, order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

The Island by Ragnar Jónasson

In 1987 a girl is found dead in a summer cottage. From the start, the investigator in charge knows he has the killer dead to rights. 

Ten years later, on the anniversary of the girl's death, her friends gather for a reunion in her honor. They're to spend the weekend at a hunter's lodge on an island off the coast of Iceland. Alone. But before the weekend has ended, one of them is dead. 

Hulda Hermannsdóttir is called to investigate what at first seems like a tragic accident. But as more evidence unfolds, it becomes clear that someone in the group had a motive for murder. And it all ties back to that case from a decade earlier. A case Hulda's own boss made his career on.

This second in the Hidden Iceland series takes readers back to 1997 and the middle stages of Hulda's career as a police officer. We're getting closer to Hulda's own tragedy, which we know the details of thanks to the reveal in The Darkness, but we're not quite there yet. Even so, the weight of that event is more raw in this second book. 

As mentioned above, the book begins in 1987, which is an important year in Hulda's history, but the piece included in this book doesn't actually touch on that period for Hulda at all. Instead, we begin with a couple and their babysitter—which doesn't make much sense until we get to the end of the book—and then dive straight into a young couple and their weekend getaway. 

It's a getaway that ends in a death, but bits are missing for us, the readers. We see the suspect arrested and we also get a peek at just how the case is twisted in order to be closed so quickly. All information that Hulda herself isn't privy to...just yet. 

Ten years later, the friends of the girl who died in 1987 are reuniting for the first time in a decade. And for the reader, it's the first time we see the dead girl's boyfriend since their trip. Yep, you heard me, we meet her boyfriend, we know his girlfriend died, and we know who was accused of and arrested for the death but no one, including us, knows what her boyfriend's hand in all that may have been. 

The group includes said boyfriend, the girl's brother, and two women. And the original trip itself is a secret only the reader is privy to. Or so it seems. Because by the time their little reunion is over, one of the group is dead! Enter Hulda and her investigative skills. 

The Island can essentially be read as a standalone, but it is the second book in the series. And it's a rather enjoyable one. Hulda is an experienced detective, not as experienced as when we met her in book one, but experienced nonetheless. And it's here that we see just how Hulda's been done wrong by the department she works for! 

As was the case with the first book, Iceland itself is more than a setting here. The island in question is a tiny, uninhabited island off the coast. The cabin in the beginning is also in an incredibly isolated part of the country. Both settings as murder scenes make investigating the crimes both easier and more difficult. 

The Island is out in paperback now and is not to be missed! I will again warn you that while these are definitely closer to cozy than any other Nordic Noir I've read so far, there are some darker themes that you'll be aware of if you've read the books in order. If you haven't yet read The Darkness, I will say that while those themes are never explicitly outlined in any of the books, they're particularly less clear in this second outing. 

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The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson

At 64, Hulda Hermannsdóttir is not looking forward to retirement. Especially not the forced retirement she's now facing. After giving her all to the police force, she's been asked to leave to make room for a younger detective who needs her desk. But, after some negotiating, Hulda gains permission to use her final days looking in a cold case. 

The case she chooses: the death of a Russian immigrant. Ruled a suicide just one year ago, Hulda is certain the case has more to it. And she's right. She immediately surmises that the officer in charge of the investigation cut corners in order to close the case. But Hulda's digging isn't winning her any friends in the department. What's more, the case forces her to face some of her own inner demons she's long tried to suppress. 

This first in Hulda's series (Hidden Iceland) is an interesting read because, while it's the first in her series, it's actually the end of her career. The other two books (The Island and The Mist) in the series take part in the middle of and closer to the beginning of her career, before she has as much life and work experience under her belt. Tracking her story backwards is a novel approach.  

Hulda is a healthy middle aged woman, finally dating again after years of being a single widow. As the story progresses, she finally starts to look forward to days outside of the department. In fact, she's finally starting to feel some freedom from the things in her past that haunt her so. 

I really liked Hulda. She begins the book confident but damaged in ways that only become clear as the book progresses. The book does stand alone, but I guarantee that once you've been introduced to Hulda, you'll want to dive directly into her two other stories. The desire to know where she came from pulls at you through the entirety of the book, making it impossible to read just the one installment. 

The book features two sets of flashbacks, and it's not clear just how those stories all weave together until we start to get closer to the conclusion of the book. Don't worry, the pacing is great—this was a one day read for me start to finish!

I have to be honest in that it's not just Hulda and her case that are such a draw. The Darkness is set in Iceland, a place that looms large as setting! It's one that calls to me any time I see it in a book description, especially if the author calls it home as well. 

But unlike much of the other Nordic Noir fare that I've delved into of late, this series is by far less graphic. It's still got some pretty dark themes, but by no means as dark as most. In fact, these are much closer to classic crime novels than anything else. (Don't go thinking these are cozy by any means. Like I said, there are still pretty dark themes, overall.)

There's an article making the rounds today regarding binge reading, and I have to say that this series in particular is perfect for a binge read session! Like I said, you'll absolutely want to delve into book two just as soon as you turn the final pages. And since it's one of those, just one more chapter books (you know the ones), I'll bet you'll find it won't take you long. I'd suggest making sure you're prepared ahead of time, with both subsequent books queued up and ready to go :)

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The Safe Place by Anna Downes

Emily is in a tough spot. She's just been fired after turning up late at work again due to an audition. An audition that led nowhere, by the way. And now her agent is dropping her as a client. What's more, she's got no money in the bank and has just been informed that her rent check has bounced and she's being evicted. 

Then her knight in shining armor arrives in the form of her ex boss. It seems he needs an all around assistant/housekeeper to work with his wife and young daughter at his home in France. Emily will have room and board, access to the household credit card, and a car for her very own use. Oh, and the house, it's in paradise! 

But there's something odd about the family. Scott almost never leaves London, Nina is pretty as a picture but a bit too intense, and Aurelia doesn't talk. At all. But the young girl also suffers from some pretty severe health issues too, which Emily suspects is the reason for any weirdness. 

Unfortunately for Emily, she's about to learn that paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be. And if a job seems too perfect, it probably is!

Anna Downes's debut is a spectacularly page turning one!

Emily is young and somewhat downtrodden. She doesn't have a great relationship with her parents and she basically has nowhere to turn when everything goes to shit. But Scott has had his eye on her for some time. 

And Scott is where the reader first begins to learn that things are...off. He comes to Emily's rescue but she's completely unaware of the fact that she's being manipulated. Plus, she has something of a crush on the man as well, which keeps her from really noticing anything off. 

In fact, Emily is soon starstruck by Scott's entire family and existence. The house—actually two houses: the family home and the guest house where Emily is living and working— is amazing. The estate sits on the water and seemingly has acres of gardens, tons of animals, a pool, a fully stocked outdoor kitchen, the works. So when Emily arrives and is told emphatically that the main house if off limits, it's not that big of a deal. She understands the family wants their privacy. 

All of that conspires to keep Emily from recognizing all of the things that aren't quite right. The NDA she has to sign before accepting the job, the reminders that she not post anything on social media, even the overall privacy of the estate itself is somewhat disconcerting. But again, the family wants privacy. 

Chapters alternate between Emily, Scott, and Nina, which gives the reader the chance to see things that Emily isn't privy to or just plain doesn't notice at all. It also keeps the reader, and Emily, on their toes throughout the story. All in all, Downes does a really excelling job of building the suspense throughout!

If you're a fan of audiobooks, I do have to recommend that edition of the book as well! Downes herself narrates and does a phenomenal job! You can listen to a sample over at Libro.fm.

Dark secrets in blissful paradise, what more could you ask for in a perfect summer read? The Safe Place is such a fun debut! I can't wait to see what Downes will do next!

Order it from your favorite indie via Bookshop!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Just over a year ago, Marin's four year old son disappeared. They were shopping at a crowded market in the days before Christmas and Marin lost him. Cameras show that he was led away by someone in a Santa Claus outfit, carrying a lollipop he'd been begging his mother for only moments before. 

Marin has lived with the guilt ever since. 

Then a PI Marin hired to help find her son reveals that Marin's husband is having an affair. After losing her son, Marin is determined not to lose her marriage as well. And she's willing to do whatever it takes to keep her husband devoted to her. 

Little Secrets is a super fast read. I started on audio and switched back and forth between that and the physical so that I could read through as fast as possible! No childcare has definitely affected reading time and audiobooks from Libro.fm have been an even bigger part of my reading life of late than even before!

We meet Marin on the morning her son is kidnapped. And then we jump forward, sixteen months later. Marin attends a support group for parents who have missing children but otherwise she's tried her best to put her life back together.

Oh, and she's hired a PI that she hasn't told her husband about.

So when she gets a call from the investigator asking to meet, she assumes it means something regarding her son's disappearance has turned up. Boy is she wrong!

The thing is, Marin isn't really all that shocked to learn that her husband has cheated. In fact, she almost blames herself for the distance. Which is sad considering she already blames herself for their son's disappearance. But her solution for the problem...well, it's an avenue most people wouldn't take themselves!

Hillier does a great job of exploring Marin and her emotions. And she does a really good job illustrating just how many different layers there are to actual people. Marin's choices are certainly questionable, but it's easy to empathize with her even if you (hopefully) don't agree. And she's not the only character Hillier gives voice to as the story continues.

Like I said, it's a super quick read and an intense one as well. Perfect for summer hammock reading :)

Order it from BookBar!

Murder on Millionaire's Row by Erin Lindsey - Excerpt and Giveaway

Hi, everyone! Today I have a super fun excerpt and giveaway for all of you - Erin Lindsey's debut historical mystery, Murder on Millionaire's Row.

Before we dive in, here's a bit about the book from the publisher:

Rose Gallagher might dream of bigger things, but she’s content enough with her life as a housemaid. After all, it’s not every girl from Five Points who gets to spend her days in a posh Fifth Avenue brownstone, even if only to sweep its floors. But all that changes on the day her boss, Mr. Thomas Wiltshire, disappears. Rose is certain Mr. Wiltshire is in trouble, but the police treat his disappearance as nothing more than the whims of a rich young man behaving badly. Meanwhile, the friend who reported him missing is suspiciously unhelpful. With nowhere left to turn, Rose takes it upon herself to find her handsome young employer.

The investigation takes her from the marble palaces of Fifth Avenue to the sordid streets of Five Points. When a ghostly apparition accosts her on the street, Rose begins to realize that the world around her isn’t at all as it seems—and her place in it is about to change forever.

This is to be the first in a new series and features some of my favorite things: ghosts and Pinkertons!

And now for a little taste:

Murder on Millionaire's Row

by Erin Lindsey

Chapter 1

ROSE GALLAGHER OF 55 MOTT STREET—JUST ANOTHER DAY—CLARA’S ADVICE—THE FIRST CLUE

As I tell you this story, I'll thank you to remember that I was young and in love. That's not an excuse, but if you're looking to understand what happened on that day in January 1886—what really happened, mind you, not the version you read in Harper's Weekly or The New York Tribune—then you ought to have the whole picture. So yes, i was nineteen years old, and yes, I had a blinding crush on my employer, one Mr. Thomas Wiltshire of 726 Fifth Avenue, and those facts together led me to make certain choices in those early hours, choices that might charitably be called naive. Some of the actions I took I'm not particularly proud of. But I wouldn't take a one of them back, either—which is saying a lot, considering how near they came to getting me killed. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I really ought to start at the beginning, which means I should say a little about where I'm from. If you're from around here, then you know that in New York, where you come from is everything. It defines your place in the world—your past, present, even your future if you let it. Why, just your name and address tell a stranger pretty much everything he cares to know about you. Not just where you live, but how: what parish you belong to, how much money you've got, where your people came from before they were Americans. He can even make a fair guess as to what you do for a living. Your name and address label you as a certain type of New Yorker, a creature with particular habits and distinctive plumage, not unlike a species of bird. Black-capped chickadee. Northern mockingbird. Italian fruit vendor. Chinese laundryman. So when I say that my name is Rose Gallagher of 55 Mott Street, well that's a whole story right there, and a common one at that. The story of an Irish girl from Five Points. 

What do those words conjure in your head? A photograph of some fair-haired, reedy thing leaning out of a tenement window to hang washing on the line while drunks and ragpickers loiter in the alley below? Well, you wouldn't be far from the mark. But there' more to me than that slip of a girl, just as there's more to Five Points than the vice and violence you read about in the papers. Oh. it's a wretched enough corner of the world, to be sure, but it's home. And it's where I learned that if you don't take care of you and yours, there's nobody else will do it for you. 

Which brings me back to the day Mr. Thomas Wiltshire disappeared, and everything I knew in the world went spinning down the drain. 

Murder on Millionaire's Row is new out on shelves this week! 

And now for the giveaway. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, October 15. Open US/Canada only. 

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Death of an Unsung Hero by Tess Arlen - Excerpt + a Giveaway

This week marks the release of the fourth entry in Tessa Arlen's Lady Montfort mystery series. To celebrate, I've got an excerpt to share with you today as well as a giveaway. But first, here's a bit about the book from Goodreads to get you started:

Lady Montfort and her pragmatic housekeeper Mrs. Jackson investigate a murder of a WWI officer with amnesia in the 20th-century English countryside.

Building on the success of her last three mysteries in the same series, Tessa Arlen returns us to the same universe in Death of an Unsung Hero with more secrets, intrigue, and charming descriptions of the English countryside.

In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer the dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Monfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia.

This series is perfect for fans of Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear!

And now, for a little taste:

Death of An Unsung Hero
by Tessa Arlen

Chapter One

“How very nice, Mrs. Jackson.” Iyntwood’s elderly butler settled into his chair by the window. “Why, it’s almost like old times again.” George Hollyoak’s glance took in the claustrophobic and over-furnished room: shabby velvet chairs jostled with a heavy mahogany desk, taking up far too much space in front of the windows, both of which were swathed in heavy curtains in a dusty but strident red plaid.

The dowager Countess of Montfort had died two years ago and her character, or that of the late Queen Victoria, whom she had revered, was still heavily imprinted on the dower house furnished as a faithful replica of the old queen’s beloved Balmoral Castle. Bright and, to Mrs. Jackson’s flinching eye, brash tartans dominated most of the reception rooms on the ground floor of Haversham Hall.

Mrs. Jackson was encouraged to see George Hollyoak sitting in her new office. It had taken weeks to coax him to visit her and now after all sorts of silly excuses here he was. Though even with her old friend and mentor sitting at his leisure with a cup of afternoon tea in his hand it wasn’t really like old times, no matter how much they all wished it were. The war had changed everything. Her face must have reflected her thoughts as she followed his gaze around the oppressively furnished room. “Perhaps not quite like old times.” Her guest smiled as he observed a shaft of dust motes dancing thickly in the late summer sunlight. “I must say you are looking well, Mrs. Jackson, and so very smart in your uniform: Voluntary Aid Detachment or Red Cross?” This was the first time he had acknowledged that Iyntwood’s dower house had been transformed into an auxiliary hospital.

“The hospital comes under the jurisdiction of the Red Cross, but I trained with the VAD. I am not an assisting nurse, so I am spared the traditional starched apron and the rather claustrophobic cap,” she answered. Long aprons and linen caps, in her experience, were worn by cooks, and although Mrs. Jackson was not a snob, she was conscious of little things like rank and station.

In acknowledging Haversham Hall’s new status the old man evidently felt he might ask his next question. He leaned forward, curiosity bright in his eyes. “And how are you finding life in your new abode?”

Mrs. Jackson hesitated before she answered. She had never liked Haversham Hall; it was as overbearing as the Victorian age it had been built in and an ugly building in comparison to the Elizabethan elegance of Iyntwood. But she had made the adjustment from being a senior servant to Ralph Cuthbert Talbot, the Earl of Montfort, at his principal country-seat, to the rank of quartermaster at Lady Montfort’s new hospital far more easily than she had anticipated. The real challenge had come when their first patients had arrived, but this was something she was not prepared to share with Mr. Hollyoak—not just yet.

“It is not as different as I thought it would be. Haversham Hall is not Iyntwood, but it is a building I am familiar with, and my duties here are similar to those of my position as housekeeper at Iyntwood.” That’s not strictly true, she thought, but it will do for now.

Her new job was not at all like her old one, any more than this hospital was like many of the others that had sprung up all over the country in the many private houses of the rich and titled, speedily converted to cope with an unceasing flow of wounded men from France. At Haversham Hall Hospital there were no wards lined with rows of beds, no operating theaters with trays of steel surgical instruments, or hastily installed sluices and sterilizers. Certainly there was an occasionally used sick bay and a first aid room in what was known as the medical wing, but they were merely a token adjunct. And it was these diferences that were the cause for Mr. Hollyoak’s initial reluctance to visit her and for his searching question, “How are you finding life in your new abode?” because Haversham Hall Hospital was not a conventional Red Cross hospital, not by a long stretch of the imagination.

She raised her teacup to her lips and took a sip. If she was to help a man whose conventions were deeply mired in the nineteenth century to understand the value of the hospital’s purpose, she must proceed with cautious tact. She decided to start with a prosaic description of the practicalities.

“I am responsible for the running of the hospital’s housekeeping and for ordering all supplies, which means I spend most of my time sitting at my desk filling in requisition forms; the bureaucracy of wartime, her ladyship calls it. But we have plenty of nice young women from the Voluntary Aid Detachment to help with the housekeeping as well as some of our nursing duties. And I certainly need to be well placed here on the ground floor of the house to supervise them.” She did not add “every step of the way” because that way of thinking made her resent how difficult it was to work with inexpert help. To go with her cheerful tone she exhibited her most optimistic smile. VAD girls from nice middle-class families were a nightmare to train in comparison to sensible, sturdy village women who were ready to roll up their sleeves and had no romantic illusions about their part in the war efort. 

Having given her visitor the briefest outline of her duties, she decided that she would wait for him to display genuine interest—enthusiasm would be too much to hope for—in what they were accomplishing here before she continued. She ofered Mr. Hollyoak a plate of sandwiches: delicate triangles of egg with cress. She had prepared them herself, mashing the hard-boiled egg finely with a narrow-tined fork and adding just the right amount of salt, pepper, and cress to spread on lightly buttered crustless bread. He took a sandwich and closed his eyes as he chewed and swallowed the first bite.

“Perfect,” he said and smiled his appreciation, “quite perfect. I need not say how much you are missed at Iyntwood.” He took another bite of sandwich and then slowly shook his head. “The house simply isn’t the same without you.”
And now for the giveaway! To win a copy of Tessa Arlen's Death of an Unsung Hero, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, March 26. Open US only and no PO boxes please. 

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The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth

Good morning, y'all! Today I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Claire Booth's The Branson Beauty.

When The Branson Beauty is scuttled on a cold and snowy afternoon, it seems like nothing more than a nuisance that can be blamed on a reckless captain. It takes hours to finally get the passengers safely back to shore and all seems well, except for likely fallout to the owner that is. But a final round of the ship reveals a shocking surprise: the dead body of a local coed. 

Sheriff Hank Worth hasn't been in his position long and knows this case is a big one. The girl, a recent graduate of the local high school, was quite well known but only a few people even realized she was on board at all that day. In fact, her parents didn't even know the girl was in town! As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear the folks of Branson have more than a few secrets up their sleeves. It's up to Hank to untangle those secrets and uncover the killer and motive behind the murder. 

The Branson Beauty marks the first in the brand new Hank Worth series. It's also Claire Booth's fiction debut.

As mysteries go, The Branson Beauty is a lighter one bordering on cozy - it's not overly graphic but it does have a little more edge than a typical cozy, in my opinion. I love the setting. Touristy Branson may be familiar to many readers but it's not Worth's Branson. In fact, even though the newly minted sheriff has only been there a short time, the commercialization has already started to wear on the man.

The plotting could have been slightly tighter for me, but it's also possible that some of the kinks I noted (somewhat repetitive information and a few odd dialog pieces) were specific to the arc and have since been ironed out for the hardcover release.

That aside, The Branson Beauty is a quick and fun mystery read. Hank Worth is excellent leading man material for a series and I look forward to seeing what else Booth has in store for Branson County!

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. And for more on Claire Booth and her work you can visit her website here.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Books a Million | Barnes & Noble

Nele Neuhaus Giveaway

In keeping with Monday's theme, I'm giving away a Nele Neuhaus pack today! Here's a bit about each of the books in today's giveaway (from Goodreads):

The Ice Queen: The body of 92-year-old Jossi Goldberg, Holocaust survivor and American citizen, is found shot to death execution style in his house near Frankfurt. A five-digit number is scrawled in blood at the murder scene. The autopsy reveals an old and unsuccessfully covered tattoo on the corpse's arm—a blood type marker once used by Hitler's SS. Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver Bodenstein are faced with a riddle. Was the old man not Jewish after all? Who was he, really? Two more, similar murders happen—one of a wheelchair-bound old lady in a nursing home, and one of a man with a cellar filled with Nazi paraphernalia—and slowly the connections between the victims becomes evident: All of them were lifelong friends with Vera von Kaltensee, baroness, well-respected philanthropist, and head of an old, rich family that she rules with an iron fist. Pia and Oliver follow the trail, which leads them all the way back to the end of World War II and the area of Poland that then belonged to East Prussia. No one is who they claim to be, and things only begin to make sense when the two investigators realize what the bloody number stands for, and uncover an old diary and an eyewitness who is finally willing to come forward.

Snow White Must Die: On a rainy November day police detectives Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein are summoned to a mysterious traffic accident: A woman has fallen from a pedestrian bridge onto a car driving underneath. According to a witness, the woman may have been pushed. The investigation leads Pia and Oliver to a small village, and the home of the victim, Rita Cramer.

On a September evening eleven years earlier, two seventeen-year-old girls vanished from the village without a trace. In a trial based only on circumstantial evidence, twenty-year-old Tobias Sartorius, Rita Cramer's son, was sentenced to ten years in prison. Bodenstein and Kirchhoff discover that Tobias, after serving his sentence, has now returned to his home town. Did the attack on his mother have something to do with his return?

In the village, Pia and Oliver encounter a wall of silence. When another young girl disappears, the events of the past seem to be repeating themselves in a disastrous manner. The investigation turns into a race against time, because for the villagers it is soon clear who the perpetrator is—and this time they are determined to take matters into their own hands.

Bad Wolf: On a hot June day the body of a sixteen-year-old girl washes up on a river bank outside of Frankfurt. She has been brutally murdered, but no one comes forward with any information as to her identity. Even weeks later, the local police have not been able to find out who she is. Then a new case comes in: A popular TV reporter is attacked, raped, and locked in the trunk of her own car. She survives, barely, and is able to supply certain hints to the police, having to do with her recent investigations into a child welfare organization and the potenial uncovering of a child pornography ring with members from the highest echelon of society. As the two cases collide, Inspectors Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein dig deep into the past and underneath the veneer of bourgeois society to come up against a terrible secret that is about to impact their personal lives as well. In Nele Neuhaus's second U.S. publication of her enormously popular series, tensions run high and a complex and unpredictable plot propels her characters forward at breakneck speed. 

Neuhaus made her US debut with Snow White Must Die back in 2013. I thought the book was pretty great, but was surprised to find that it was actually the fourth in her Bodenstein and Kirchoff series. Fortunately, in the time since its release, Bad Wolf and The Ice Queen have also hit shelves here and I Am Your Judge is due out shortly. I can't explain the thought process in the release order or the chosen titles to release here, but I can give you the official reading order:

The Ice Queen (book 3 in the series)
Snow White Must Die
Bad Wolf (book 6 in the series)
I Am Your Judge (book 7 in the series)

Weird, I know.

Anywho, this German series is definitely one that I want more folks to check out so today I'm giving away the first three (US) titles to one of you lucky readers! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, January 4. Open US only.

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Start a New Series Giveaway

Good morning, readers! I'm cleaning off my giveaway shelves this week. First up, I want you to start a new series :)

Here's what's up for grabs today:

Woman With a Secret by Sophie Hannah - while this one is technically the 9th installment in Hanna's Spilling CID series, it works great as a jumping in point.

You can check out my official review here, and here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

Traffic on Elmhirst Road has come to a halt. The police are stopping cars, searching for something. Nicki Clements waits patiently, until she glimpses a face she hoped she’d never see again. It’s him—and he’s the cop checking each car. Desperate to avoid him, she makes a panicky U-turn and escapes.

But Nicki’s peculiar behavior did not go unnoticed, and now the police have summoned her for questioning. A resident of Elmhirst Road has been murdered—a controversial newspaper columnist named Damon Blundy. The detectives begin peppering her with questions. Why was she seen fleeing the scene? What is her connection to the victim? Why was the knife that killed him used in such a peculiar way? Why were the words “HE IS NO LESS DEAD” painted on the wall of Blundy’s study?and what do they signify?

One simple answer could clear her. But she can’t explain why she fled Elmhirst Road that day without revealing the secret that could ruin her.

Nicki isn’t guilty of murder. But she’s far from innocent . . .

I've also got a copy of Where Monsters Dwell by Jørgen Brekke. This is the first title in Brekke's Odd Singsaker series. It's a dark and twisted debut that's lots of fun. You can check out my official review here. I wasn't at all sure if this was going to be a series at the time I wrote my review but fortunately for all of us Dreamless released in hardcover earlier this year. 

Here's the description from Goodreads:

A murder at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, bears a close resemblance to one in Trondheim, Norway. The corpse of the museum curator in Virginia is found flayed in his office by the cleaning staff; the corpse of an archivist at the library in Norway, is found inside a locked vault used to store delicate and rare books. Richmond homicide detective Felicia Stone and Trondheim police inspector Odd Singsaker find themselves working on similar murder cases, committed the same way, but half a world away. And both murders are somehow connected to a sixteenth century palimpsest book—The Book of John—which appears to be a journal of a serial murderer back in 1529 Norway, a book bound in human skin.

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter for either (or both) title that piques your interest before Monday, December 28. Both giveaways open US only.

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Flask of the Drunken Master by Susan Spann

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Susan Spann's latest Shinobi mystery, Flask of the Drunken Master.

A man has been murdered and Hiro's friend Ginjiro stands accused. The victim was a fellow brewer whose son racked up a hefty debt with Ginjiro. Witnesses reported the seeing the dead man and Ginjiro arguing over exactly that matter the night before the body is found in Ginjiro's alley. Some even say that Ginjiro was heard threatening the dead man! 

Nevertheless, the evidence seems highly circumstantial to Hiro and Father Mateo who are both certain their friend is no killer. Though Hiro is somewhat reluctant to cross the investigating yoriki, the samurai is well aware that the man is more interested in a quick arrest rather than real justice. And since that quick arrest means ruining the life of a friend, Hiro and Father Mateo can't possibly stand by without helping.

Sake politics, a city on high alert for possibly spies, and an investigation with twists galore - all set in sixteenth century Kyoto! This third in Spann's series is clever and intriguing. If you're new to Spann's work, Flask can most definitely work as a stand alone or introduction to the series. And as with any good series you'll want to go back and read the previous installments as well. There are a few references to Blade of the Samurai, but nothing too spoilery should you choose to start with Flask.

Spann is the perfect figurative juggler. This is not only an historic setting, but a time/place/culture that few American readers are familiar with in any way. And it's a mystery. So that means that Spann has to put together a great plot (done), while continuing to grow her series characters (also done), and set a believable tone and setting for her readers (done fabulously). What's more, as I noted with the previous review, Spann's attention to detail is seemingly impeccable.

I don't know of anyone else in the mystery world tackling such an intricate and unique setting right now. If you're a fan of historicals and fun mysteries, I definitely suggest giving this series a try. They're not quite cozy but are light enough to appeal to both cozy and darker fans.

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour, which also includes posts on both Claws of the Cat and Blade of the Samurai be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Susan Spann and her work, you can check out her website here. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, if you're in the Denver area Susan will be at the LoDo Tattered Cover for a reading and signing on July 16 and will be attending the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Writer of the Year Announcement Party (she's one of the nominees!) at Denver's Bookbar on Saturday, July 18.

Flask of the Drunken Master officially hits shelves July 14.

The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson

I didn't think Cozy Mystery Week was going to be as big of a challenge as it turned out to be! Now, I'm not a huge cozy fan at all; I like my mysteries a bit darker and bloodier as you all likely know. My original plan was to read cozy all week, knocking out some series that have been building up in the TBR. In trying to choose something to read for the week, though, I ended up doing a bit of book speed dating - starting and abandoning various titles before finding one that seemed like a good match for me. That one was... Michael Robertson's The Baker Street Letters.

Reggie Heath was unaware of the strange clause in his lease for office space at 221 Baker Street. Unaware, that is, until his brother, Nigel, pointed it out to him. For some time, the office has been accepting letters addressed to a certain famed literary detective. As part of the lease, Reggie agreed to handle and respond to the letters using a prepared form response. Under no circumstances are they ever to contact the writers of the letters. 

But Nigel becomes overly curious about one letter in particular, which turns out to be three letters in fact. Twenty years ago, a letter was sent from an eight year old in search of her missing father. Along with the letter, the child sent a number of items to help with the investigation. Now that girl wants those items back. But Nigel notices something off about these new letters and becomes convinced they aren't from the original sender. Just as he sets off to LA to dig deeper, Reggie stumbles upon a dead body on Nigel's office floor. Reggie is almost certain that his brother can't be the killer, but wonders if the letters could be to blame. Reggie follows his brother to the States and immediately becomes entangled in the mystery of the letters as well. 

So as I said, this wasn't the first book I tried on for size this week but it was the one that intrigued me most. I was pretty immediately drawn in by the characters and by the time the premise was introduced I was sold.

You don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes fan to enjoy this first outing in Robertson's series. In fact, even Holmes purists can rest easy as the only real connection to Conan Doyle's creation here is the address. You do have to be something of a mystery fan, though. The brothers Heath both have law backgrounds, which makes it easy to believe they have the means and the brains to do what they do in the book (always a plus). Nigel in particular has been in hot water of late thanks to his dogged desire to do the right thing. And of course tracking down a girl with a missing father who could be in danger is the right thing!

The Baker Street Letters is a fun and light read, nice for cleansing the reading palate after some heavier books of late. I fully intend to continue the series now that I've started. If you're interested there are four titles in the series to date (the latest out in hardcover now and due out in paperback Dec 30):

The Baker Street Letters
The Brothers of Baker Street
The Baker Street Translation
Moriarty Returns a Letter

Rating: 4/5