Carol's Notebook

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

How could I pass this one up? We've got Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy working together to solve a murder. I've read books by all the authors and it was fun seeing the brought to life was fun. The story is told from Sayers' point of view, so we get the most insight into her life and personality, but the others all have their own strengths. It was interesting to see how these strong, intelligent, successful women still have to fight for respect, recognition and inclusion. It also gives us a look at how women in general were treated in the years following WW1, from surplus women to crime victims and witnesses.The mystery itself was put together well. We had several reasonable suspects and the women do a good job with the investigation, even if it's much more difficult in real life than it is for their fictional characters. It is...

Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley

September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I love a good foodie cozy mystery and Delilah's pizzas sound delicious. This time around, she has reluctantly agreed to cater a wellness retreat led by an overly demanding mindfulness influencer. When a guest is found dead in her zen tent, it’s up to Delilah and her usual crew to track down the killer.There's a new police chief in town and she was quirky, I guess. I like it when the police and our amateur sleuths can get along and both are competent, but the way the chief brough Delilah into the case and setting up Capone undercover as a bartender in a town where literally everyone knows him, even if the retreat attendees don't, seemed odd.The mystery itself was put together well. We had several suspicious people, and a couple of motives floating around. I felt like Delilah could have put together a few pieces quicker than she did. I also don't love that her ex owns...

Death on the Night Train to Verona by Benedict Brown

September 25, 2026September 24, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

It's 1929 and Christopher and his grandfather, Lord Edgington, are touring the continent. They're taking the night train from Rome to Verona, but no one will be getting any sleep after the famous actress, Geraldine de la Forge, is found killed in her sleeping compartment. I love the 20s setting with its Golden Age touches. The characters, both returning and new, are given full personalities with strengths and flaws. The clues were well placed and it's a good puzzle. I tend to enjoy most of Benedict Brown's mysteries....

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

September 24, 2026September 24, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Murder by Memory is trying to be Miss Marple but as a professional detective in space. While it doesn't quite deliver on that promise, it is enjoyable. I wish the story was a little longer. At only 100 pages, we get to know the world and the characters, but not as well as I would like. Dorothy Gentleman is a good character and I found the way the generational shipped worked interesting. The sci fi is pretty light, not heavy on technical jargon. The mystery was well done and I appreciate that it tied into the science fiction aspects of the book....

Veil of Lies by Helena Marchmont

September 22, 2026September 22, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I like the Bunburry series for car rides. Each episode is under four hours long, which makes it perfect to listen to the way of up the lake or a meeting and back. This time around Alfie and Emma are planning their wedding - well, Alfie's doing most of the planning. Of course, nothing ever goes quite as planned and one of the wedding planner's staff is found dead. Of course, the Bunburry triangle gets involved.It's a quick listen. The returning characters are fun to catch up with and the new ones are developed well. I would like a bit more Oscar, but that's just me. The mystery is wrapped up well. I'll definitely listen to the next one....

Sprinkles and Sea Serpents by Danielle Garrett

September 18, 2026September 18, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Sprinkles and Sea Serpents is a fun book. Ella. our main character, has an interesting power - everyone in Winterspell Lake has some kind of magic, even if others are a bit leery of it. She's a former journalist, so the mystery of the missing women grabs her attention. I liked Ella for the most part, but she made some not great decisions. The mystery itself was good enough. I wasn't surprised by who the bad guy was, but there some unanswered questions at the end that will almost definitely come up in the next. I liked romantic interest, too. I thought they worked well together. I'll probably read #1.5 around Christmas....