Category: Mystery

Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance

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Bad Neighbors (An Agnes & Effie Mystery #2)Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: An Agnes and Effie Mystery #2
Publication Date: 4/10/18

Welcome to the picturesque small town of Naneda in upstate New York for the foliage viewing season. The town is filled with funny, quirky and unique residents who will become some of your favorite book friends. The title characters are the pudgy, twenty-nine-year-old Agnes Blythe who has body image issues and her seventy-something, former super-model great-aunt Effie who has inherited a ramshackle, historic inn that she and Agnes are restoring. The supporting characters are also back and they are as much fun as ever! The book will give you belly-laughs and at the same time, there is an intense murder mystery to solve. It is an excellently written and fun read!

A leaf-viewing tour bus breaks down and pulls into the local garage for repairs. The occupants have to be put up in local lodging for the night – but the local inns are almost filled to capacity. They divide the members of the tour group out among the inns, but they still need more rooms. The only option is to get The Stagecoach Inn to take some of the group even though the Inn isn’t ready for occupancy yet. Boy – are those folks in for a surprise.

While the tour group is waiting at the garage for the various inns to pick them up, one of the group discovers a dead body. As Agnes arrives to pick them up, there are police cruisers everywhere with lights flashing – and – is that Otis they are putting into the back of the police car? Otis and Agnes are sorta/kinda dating and he absolutely cannot have murdered anyone!

Aggie and Effie decide they need to investigate to clear Otis’ name because the police detective seems to have fixated on Otis as the only suspect. The plot is complex, but Aggie and Effie’s investigation will keep you in stitches. I love that the tourists play such a major role in the investigation. There are lots of red herrings to keep us and our investigators guessing right up to the very end. The identity of the murderer will surprise you!

I highly recommend this book. It is funny and entertaining – just wait for their spa visit! If you want a book that will leave you refreshed and feeling good after you finish reading it, then this is the one for you!

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, MysteryLeave a comment

Lost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop MysteryLost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery by Paige Shelton

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #3
Publication Date: 4/3/18

Oh! My! I’ve definitely found a new series to start reading. This is my first book by this author but it definitely will not be my last! The mystery is well plotted, the story is wonderfully written and the characters are both relatable and likable. The setting is perfect (Edinburgh) and the author’s descriptions make you feel as if you are right there with the characters. This author includes lots of actual interesting history that she weaves seamlessly into the story. Though this book is part of a series, I had no trouble with understanding the character relationships, so it could be read as a stand-alone. However, the book intrigued me so much that I am going to read the first two books in the series as soon as I can. I’m really looking forward to them and the next books in the series as well. One of the things that I loved was that it was not so filled with sub-plots that you were constantly dragged away from the main plot. Of course, I also like the romance.

Almost a year ago Delaney Nichols left Kansas for her dream job at The Cracked Spine in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Cracked Spine deals in new books as well as antique books, manuscripts, maps, etc. Since her arrival in Scotland, she’s already helped in investigating two murders and she’s certainly glad that is all behind her.

In the last few months, she’s made friends with two students, Sophie and Rena, from the University of Edinburgh Medical School. While they are at a club, celebrating the completion of a big exam, she notices some strange interactions and people and she also meets another student, Mallory and likes her very much. She also meets the odd Dr. Eban who is an instructor at the school. At the end of the evening, she and the students go their separate ways – Mallory and Sophie take one cab, Delaney takes another and Rena takes yet another.

Delaney (I just love that name) gets a call from the bookstore the following morning and is told she needs to get there as soon as she can. As Delaney approaches the store, she is met by chaos. There are police cars, crime scene investigators, policemen and a detective all over the outside of the lovely old bookstore. What in the world is going on? The shop had been broken into and a body had been found outside in the close (alley). Then, she learns that she knows the victim.

As someone who is always intrigued by a mystery, Delaney can’t just sit by and allow the police to do all of the investigating. She shares all she learns, but she refuses to sit idly by and allow others to investigate. Besides, she’s intrigued by some things she knows and doesn’t want to share.

The supporting characters are lovable and quirky and her boyfriend/lover, Tom is just perfect for her. She cares for him more and more but is unsure how long the relationship will last because he has dated half the women in Edinburgh and none of the relationships last more than a few weeks. Strangely, they have been dating for almost a year, so she wonders what is different and how soon he’ll leave her. One of my favorite characters is Artair, Tom’s father. He’s delightful.

I definitely loved the book and recommend it as a great read with a combination of mystery and romance.

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”