Missing Mark by Julie Kramer

This the second Riley Spartz book, and it was amusing. My complaint from the first book, about too much background slowing down the narrative has been fixed, although at times Riley’s asides about the news business irritated me.

However, this was another interesting mystery, again set during sweeps time and Riley’s character development continued.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next Riley mystery. She’s a fun feisty mystery heroine.

A Date You Can’t Refuse by Harley Jane Kozak

I’ve enjoyed the other entries in this series, but this one was difficult for me, it started off good, then lagged, but I was pleasantly surprised (rewarded?) with the ending, and now want to see what’s next for Wollie. I hope it won’t be so long between books again.

Wollie Shelley isn’t happy about taking the job as a “social coach” at MediaRex, but the FBI makes her an offer she can’t refuse. If she agrees to infiltrate the company, they’ll guarantee that her schizophrenic brother will have a home at the federally subsidized halfway house he’s come to love. So Wollie launches into teaching three foreign celebrities how to cope with the customs of Beverly Hills, improve their English, and become Oprah-ready. And when a coyote-chewed corpse appears in the MediaRex compound, Wollie realizes that her colleagues are concealing some serious secrets of their own.

Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson

Another fine entry into the Goldy series. I really like Goldy. She seems real to me, she’s flawed, has overcome an abusive relationship and yet sometimes she’s still insecure. The only thing I didn’t like was how minimalized Arch was in this book. I’m wondering too if it’s time to spin off Julian into his own series.  As not much happens to move her character forward anymore – she’s just content being married and doing her catering gigs and stumbling over a dead body now and then.

This summer Goldy’s been catering lots of weddings and Bridezilla Billie Attenbourough has changed her date three times.  Then she changes the location to Gold Gulch Spa two days before her nuptials. Then beloved Doc Finn is murdered on his way to the Spa and Goldy’s godfather is attacked at the wedding reception at Gold Gulch Spa, so Goldy goes undercover to find out what is going on there.

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke

Another entry in this series. Hannah is trying to get in shape so she fits in the dress for her mother’s book signing party. Of course, Hannah finds someone dead at the gym and investigates.

There’s been an ongoing love triangle in these books, and I’m quite hoping the author has Hannah pick one in the next mystery as it was quite clear in this book as to who’s the jerk and who’s the keeper. And really I don’t buy Hannah has conflicted anymore. Because Hannah is trying to lose weight there’s some good low cal dessert recipes in here. Otherwise, it was a quick read and a decent entry in the series.

Bean There, Done That by Sandra Balzo

This was another decent entry into the series. I was more pleased with Maggy’s character development in this book, than in the previous one. The climax/resolution came together a little too quickly for me. And the twist did seem believable, but I like Maggy so I’ll keep reading these.

The Plot Summary: Coffee shop owner Maggy is surprised when her ex-husband’s new wife, Rachel,  shows up asking for Maggy’s help in proving the husband is now cheating on Rachel. But when Rachel turns up dead, Maggy quickly tries to help defend her ex-husband.

Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein

I am a huge fan of Alex Cooper (the protagonist in these novels) and it’s always easy to pick up her latest adventure and not feel as if I need to go back and read the end of the last one to remember where Alex is. Anyway, how could I not love this book? It takes place in the New York Public Library and is essentially, a love letter to librarians.

When two women turn up dead in the same apartment, Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper and detectives, Mercer and Mike, end up at the New York Public Library looking for an old map to solve the crime. Tangled up in the case are an eccentric family and other bibliophiles with money.

The reader gets an inside look at the history of the New York Public Library and the librarians save the day!

Just a delightful read – quick pacing, suspense filled and a little bit of Alex’s personal life to keep her human.

This is my new favorite book of 2009 . Even though I consider them a series, you don’t have to read the Alex Cooper books in order. So please, pick this up! It’s worth your time.

Catsitter on a Hot Tin Roof by Blaize Clement

Another great addition to this series. Dixie Hemingway is a pet sitter in Florida – she used to be Deputy in the Sherriff’s Department until a tragic accident.

This book was almost too short – Dixie doesn’t find a body until page 90 and then it wraps up in less than 200 pages later.

You can see the progression of Dixie’s character in this novel, and I hope the next book provides some more about her healing/grieving process and moves along her relationship with some other characters. I’d like to see more character development in the next book.

Classic Crave: A Confidential Source by Jan Brogan

Investigative reporter Hallie Ahernused to work in Boston, but now is covering school board meetings in a tiny bureau office in Rhode Island. One night the local convenience store clerk is shot while Hallie is in the store. Some suggest it’s not just a robbery – this story is Hallie’s chance to make it on to the Providence Chronicle’s investigative team.

This novel had good fast plotting and I liked the character of Hallie.  This turned out to be the start of a new mystery series.

Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush

This is the first in the Jane Kelly mystery series and since it was set outside of Portland, Oregon I thought I’d check it out. Plus the cover blurb says it’s for people who like Stephanie Plum.

Jane Kelly lives in Lake Chinook, Oregon were she is a process server and does some side work for a P.I. Bobby Reynolds murdered his young family and has been missing the past 4 years. Jane is hired to speak with Bobby’s father and discover if he knows where Bobby is. Plus her ex-boyfriend’s back in town (who just happens to be Bobby’s childhood best friend) and Jane’s mom has arranged for her to take in a distant relative pug named Binky.

I have mixed feelings on this one. It was ok. The setting confused me. Lake Chinook sounded sorta like Lake Oswego (a Portland suburb & where the author lives) but with her descriptions and mix of real and fake places and street names I just couldn’t place it in context, which bugged me. Also the plot was complicated and I had trouble keeping the numerous secondary characters straight. Plus I did know who had done it before it was revealed and that always bugs me. However, it was a first novel and I would be tempted to read the second book in the series.

Doggie Day Care Murder by Lauren Berenson

Another entry into the Melanie Travis Mystery Series.

I enjoy this light mystery series which features Melanie Travis as an amateur sleuth, usually solving something to do with dogs, as she shows Standard Poodles and her aunt is a champion breeder and dog show judge.

This novel didn’t disappoint with its breezy, easy story. Melanie investigates the death of the owner of a doggie day care facility. Not much character development, except for Aunt Peg teaching Melanie’s son Davey how to show dogs (and enter the Junior Showmanship category). But this was a quick read and an ok entry into the series.