Book 15, 2024

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished reading Buried in a Good Book last night. It's the first in author Tamara Berry's "By the Book" mystery series, starring best-selling writer, Tess Harrow.

Recently divorced, Tess is looking for a fresh start and some inspiration when she takes her teenage daughter, Gertrude, to the isolated cabin that Tess inherited from her late grandfather. Tess is charmed by the rustic location, but Gertie is less than pleased at the lack of electricity or WiFi. Not long after they arrive, there are several explosions nearby, followed by a deluge of fish guts...and a human arm. Tess suddenly finds herself involved in a real murder investigation, and the sheriff is disconcertingly similar to her fictional detective. Sheriff Boyd is exasperated with Tess' zealous efforts to dog his investigation, but she won't be dissuaded. Soon Tess is chasing down clues and leads, adding her "expertise", and getting caught up in the local hunt for Bigfoot. If nothing else, she's certainly getting inspiration for her next novel.

This story was wonderful. Quite a bit of it was silly and madcap, but not distractingly so. Tess was a delight and someone you'd like to know in real life. Other characters were well-written, from Gertie's teenage angst and mood swings to Sheriff Boyd's taciturn disapproval. The plot was fast paced and twisty. If I have a complaint, it's that Tess was almost always engaged in sleuthing. Nevertheless, I was engrossed in the story.

Favorite lines:
♦ "I bet it's Bigfoot."
♦ She had a feeling Sheriff Boyd wouldn't appreciate that particular anecdote, even if the detective had uncovered a corrupt maple syrup mafia with the setup.
This is the second cozy mystery I've read that referenced a maple syrup mafia. Does such a thing actually exist?!
♦ "Did you physically see someone take him?" // "No, but that doesn't mean anything. I don't physically see the air around me, but it's there."
♦ "You're using an unstable ladder for the sole purpose of getting a ladder upgrade?"
♦ "If I had to take a guess, I'd say the toucans got him."
♦ People with cats could never get rid of all the hair, no matter how hard they tried.
♦ "They're in cahoots together." // "No one has used the word cahoots since 1888."

An unexpected delight. Four stars.

( Trope Test )

Book 16, 2024

One Foot in the Grape by Carlene O'Neil

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



After finishing my regular book last night, I picked up my "spare" one and finished it, too. Woo! It was One Foot in the Grape by Carlene O'Neil, and it's the first in her "Cypress Cove" mystery series. The main character is Penelope "Penny" Lively, a photo journalist turned vintner.

After refusing to embellish a story, Penny is fired from her job as a photo journalist. However, she recently inherited a small winery from her aunt, and Penny relocates there to reset and reevaluate. When the Antonia Martinelli, owner of the neighboring winery, confides in Penny that someone is sabotaging her wines, Penny agrees to help. Things become more complicated when one of Antonia's employees is murdered, and the last person to see him alive was Penny's niece and employee, Hayley. In the course of her investigation, Penny is drawn further into the dysfunctional dynamics of the Martinelli family. The trick will be figuring out which of them is capable of murder.

Very well written and engrossing. Penny is an engaging character, and other characters are fully realized, from austere Antonia to conniving Francesca to Penny's gay friends, Ross and Thomas. The plot was sensible and fast paced.

Favorite lines:
♦ I'm not very good at picking out the good ideas from the bad. I'll pretty much try them all.
♦ Success in the kitchen escaped me. The only thing I could reliably make was salad.
♦ Lying comes naturally to me. I'm not proud of it, but there it is.
♦ "I always knew she didn't have her panties on too tight."

Enjoyable and entertaining, four stars.

( Trope Test )