Mystery – The Spine View

A Crime Through Time by John Anthony Miller

A Crime Through Time reads like a cold case murder mystery. The story line bounces between the mid-19^th century and the 1950s in Normandy. If not for the setting, this plot could have been something straight out of the crime drama 48 Hours. A totally engrossing read.

In the past, an artist’s model was murdered not far from the studio of Jean-Pierre, a French painter known for his use of light. Then an attempt is made on the life of Elsie Lyon, the wife of a wealthy and ruthless Paris businessman, while she was leaving the same studio after a portrait sitting with the artist.

In the present (1956 Normandy, France) Zelie Girard has just inherited a house with 3 cottages, two of which are rented, from her mother-in-law, along with a mountain of debt. Not sure what she is going to do, Zelie starts to go through her late mother-in-law’s things. In the attic she finds a series of paintings that could be valuable. Her interest is peaked and she sets out to discover more about the paintings and the artist. What she uncovers is much more than she bargained for.

This book is highly atmospheric because the author did an outstanding job with the descriptive prose. The attention to the details of the settings made it easy for me visualize each scene. It is one of the reasons I was deeply invested with the outcome.

Another aspect of this book that had me captivated were the great characters. Some of them I loved and some I loved hating. The characters were definitely fully developed and I had no problem understanding their actions and motivations from the prickly and arrogant detective to the young postwar widow. In addition, the cast was varied and this added a richness to the story.

The pacing was good and the clues where doled out slowly as the story unfolds. Despite the clues, I never figured out who the murderer was. I thought I was paying attention. However, I was totally surprised in the end. The ending was not as all what I expected and yet it felt right.

A Crime Through Time is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and lovers of historical fiction. It would also make a great book club selection. Highly recommend that you put this on your TBR list.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Drop by John Anthony Miller

Set in Havana, Cuba just prior to Castro, this suspense/thriller The Drop, by John Anthony Miller, is a wild ride full of surprises. Written with great prose and meticulous attention to detail in both setting and characters, makes it a real winner.

A very interesting and diverse set of characters in The Drop. First there is, Jimmy Foster who is the uber wealthy Wall Street guy. He is married to, Darlene, who is gorgeous and a gold digger. He loves Havana, and he and Darlene come often to enjoy the sun, pool, music and sometimes the casinos in the city. They have everything going for them and should be the perfect couple. Yet some people are never satisfied, and the grass is always seems greener on the other side. So when Jimmy is kidnapped, she is not overly distraught.

There is another beautiful woman involved in this story, Ariana. She and her family where once wealthy until it was all taken away by Batista. Now she is out for revenge. However, revenge costs money, lots of money. Steal from the mob… no problem. Kidnaping, well maybe not so good.
Especially, when a wife has everything to gain from a missing husband and everything to lose if he is found.

Lastly there is the private detective, Harry, that has a mysterious air about him. Is he in Havana on behalf of a jealous husband or is there something else going on? He is definitely in the all the right places at the right times and seems better prepared than the police to find Jimmy.

So many little twists and subtle hints of what is to come as the story progresses. However, as I have mentioned in the past, I hate spoilers. Instead, I am leaving with this vague overview and hope that I have given you enough to peak your interest.

I loved the setting of this book; because, I am starting to feel worn out on historical books set either during WWI or WWII and this book felt like a breath of fresh air. Also, I am highly appreciative that the author took great care in the scene descriptions. It enhanced the story and allowed me to place myself in the characters’ shoes.

The characters were well done and there was a lot of subtly in their actions. I didn’t always understand their actions and that made the book more interesting. However, it all comes together neatly in the end and I got why the characters did what they did.

I can’t fail to mention just how good the plot was. There was a twist at the end that I never saw coming. Even after several days to noodle on the ending, I am still left shaking my head. It was alluded to; however, I never put two and two together, which is unusual for me. Well done!

This book had everything going for it and Miller has become one of my favorite authors. If you are looking for a historical fiction story in an unusual setting and a twisty plot, then this the book for you. I highly recommend you read it.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Widow’s Walk by John Anthony Miller

I found The Widow’s Walk, by John Anthony Miller, to be a highly entertaining story. The mood is set by lovely descriptive prose and I quickly became absorbed in this character driven story.

Audrey Taylor is recently divorced and is seeking to reinvent herself. When she inherits a historic home, in an up-and-coming beach town on the New Jersey coast, and a small amount of money from a distant relative, she decides to leave the city. Her daughters are in college and she can work from home. It seems now is the perfect time to make a change.

When she arrives and discovers all the things that need fixing in this old house she starts to second guess herself. Then an unexpected discovery in the wall of her library has her trying to unravel a one hundred year mystery. Along the way she makes friends and if she allows herself, she even may find a little romance.

Great plot in this book and I loved that the romance was not overpowering. It added just the right amount of additional substance to make the story more interesting. The clues to the mystery were placed well in order to keep me intrigued and it was fun to work through the clues with the Audrey. Yet the best part of the book was the descriptive prose. I loved reading about the various places in Cape May and I ended up Googling some of the places mentioned to see the image for myself.

The character development was also outstanding. I felt like I had a connection to Audrey. The result was I became truly invested in the outcome and rushed to get to the end. It’s such a wonderful feeling when I get this involved with the character and story. Totally looking forward to reading more great books from this author.

In summary, this book is a charming feel good story and the perfect beach read that will have you devouring it. There is a lot to love in the story and is the perfect choice for fans of Nora Roberts. I highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction, cozy mysteries and romance.

I used my Kindle Unlimited to download a copy of this book. However, the author did request a review. Regardless of how I obtain a book, my opinion is entirely my own. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my book blog at www.thespineview.com.

The Drug Lord’s Daughter by Tom Towslee

The Drug Lord’s Daughter has everything I could ask for in a murder mystery. The author, Tom Towslee, weaves a tale of murder and intrigue, set in an idyllic vacation spot within a Mexican beach front town, and a reporter that just can’t leave well enough alone. All of this made for a book I could not put down.

John Standard, Senor Juan as the locals call him, is an expat from Oregon, living the easy life with his girlfriend Emma in a small Mexican seaside town. He has traded his former life as a freelance reporter, and the cold, wet winters in the Pacific Northwest, for this quiet existence. His days consist of fishing, reading and maybe a night in town with Emma.

Then one day the quiet of this town is shattered when Lulu, a friend of Emma’s, is murdered in her home. Emma asks John to see what he can find out from the police about the murder. John and the local police captain, Alejandro Vega, are not on the best of terms. After speaking to him, John gets the sense that he knows more than he is letting on. His investigative reporter instincts kick in and he becomes obsessed with finding out the truth even though his and Emma’s life maybe in jeopardy.

The quality of the story took me by surprise. Sometimes I find that action/thriller type books sacrifice character development in favor of action and then more action. Therefore, I love to read a story that gives me both a great character with a well thought-out and fast paced plot. The story takes off from the first page and there was never a dull moment in this riveting story. Despite being fast paced, the plot never felt rushed and the clues were perfectly placed to keep the reader engaged.

I loved the character of John Standard. He was down to earth and a bit gritty. I understood him and sympathized with him. There was some outstanding character development here and even though this was the third book in a series, the author gave enough background information that it worked well as a stand-alone.

If you a fan of murder mysteries that are served with a side of action, this is the book for you. Don’t miss out on this electrifying story! Totally looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received a free copy from the published in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Vatican Cameos by Richard T. Ryan

What’s not to like about a Sherlock Holmes mystery. He is a genius detective and uses his keen powers of observation to unravel the deepest of mysteries. When he is presented a problem to solve, he is like a blood hound on a scent and never stops until he has found his quarry. The author has highlighted this and many other talents of Holmes in this wonderful tale of cat and mouse.

When a group of cameos, carved by the famous Michelangelo, is stolen from the Vatican, the Pope sends a courier to Bakers Street in London to employ Holmes to recover them. It is stressed to Holmes that this is a delicate matter and he must tell no one about the robbery because the cameos have been hidden for 400 years. They were carved to represent the seven deadly sins and images of members of the Curia at that time were used. If the public were to know of these cameos, it could cause a scandal that would shake the foundations of the church.

One of the things I liked about this book is that the story felt different. I liked that the setting was not England and that it involved a religious artifact. The author has a sharp imaginative and I appreciated that he took a well known and loved character and brought him to life and gave him an interesting challenge.

I also loved all the historical information in the book. There were little tidbits I enjoyed, such as the origin of the saying, “Don’t buy a pig in a poke”, to the historical information about the two time periods in which the story takes place.

The pace of the book was excellent and I loved how I was pulled into both the 1901 world of Holmes but also the 1501 world of Michelangelo. The author moved the story seamlessly through both time periods and weaved intrigue into both. I was totally hooked from the start and read it in only two days.

If I could I would give this book a 4.5 rating. Since I listened to the audio, and I had to take into account both the narration and story into my score, I choose four stars as my overall score (I reserve a five for books I loved and could read again). All in all, it is an enjoyable read and I recommend it to all lovers of Holmes mysteries and mysteries in general.

The narration was good. I liked the tonal quality and the speaking voice of the narrator. I appreciated that he tried to capture the essence of each character. One very small negative thing was the laugh, it did not always fit all the characters and by the end got on my nerves. I know it is kind of being nitpicky but I would have preferred no laughter. I give the narration 4 stars.

I received a free audio version of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker

If you are in the mood for a light read that goes quickly, look no further than A Medium’s Birthday Surprise by Chariss K. Walker. It is a charming cozy mystery with a paranormal twist.

The main character, Becky, is a medium that lives in the small town of Asheville. As a medium, she assists the spirits of the departed who need a little help in moving onto the next life. She truly enjoys being helpful to them. However, her siblings do not feel the same as she does. They refuse to recognize that they also possess the same ability, inherited from their mother, and thus avoid her at times.

No one is avoiding Becky on her 26^th birthday, this includes Josh’s, her boyfriend from high school, ghost shows up. He went missing 10 years ago to the day and no one ever found out what happened. You can imagine what a shock this all is to Becky. She feels she must do whatever is necessary to help Josh move on. However, to do this she will have to figure out how he died.

I enjoyed this innovative take on a cozy mystery. I know there are other cozies out there that are similar, but this one is just done really well. The author didn’t haphazardly add the paranormal elements. The elements were well thought out and added a little something extra. In addition, I felt they helped moved the plot along. Also, the author did not leave any cliffhangers. Yet, there are a lot of places Becky’s story can go from here. For Example, I hope in future books she will help her siblings with their gifts.

I also liked Becky’s character a lot. It suited the story nicely and the author did a good job with the character development. I would have liked just a little more development on Becky’s siblings. I think this may have been intention since it leaves some things for future books.

I also want to mention that I live is Asheville and have for over 40 years. Therefore, a person can’t just write nonsense about the area unless you want me to call you out on it. I am happy to report there was no nonsense in this book. The author was spot on in describing the city and its’ atmosphere.

I like it when a book surprises me or gives me something new and different. I recommend this book to readers of cozy mysteries. I think you will find it as enjoyable as I did. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

While the author asked me for a review, I used my Kindle Unlimited to read this book.

Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Bluff, by Jane Stanton Hitchcock, gives new meaning to the idea that revenge is a dish best served cold. Maud, the main character, not only serves it up cold but in a big heaping portion! Full of intrigue, wonderful characters and a nasty plot of revenge to pay back the bad guys, this book is absorbing from page one all the way through to the end.

Maud is a 50ish divorcee who is primed and ready for a fight. She has always suspected that Burt Skylar, an accountant to the rich and famous in NYC, swindled her mother out of over 100 million dollars. She has spoken against him for years and has earned the nickname “Mad Maud”. However, she has never been able to prove anything.

Finally all the right cards are in her hand and she sees her chance for revenge. She enters The Four Seasons, one of the swankiest restaurants in the city, and pulls the trigger and shoots Sun Sutherland, a wealthy and prominent businessman, who is dining with Skylar. Did she miss or is there more to this story than meets the eye?

Love, love, loved the character of Maud. She has a brilliant mind and is downright devious. I also loved how she played people like she played poker. Most everyone is totally taken in by the frumpy middle-aged woman act that she carried off better than a Broadway actress. I would hate to get on her bad side and can only pity those she plays poker against. The supporting characters also hit the mark with me. They helped round out the revenge plot nicely.

The plot has more twists than the Mississippi River and it was fast paced. I really appreciate the balance the author was able to achieve between pace and character development. I find that in this type of book one or the other is lacking. Brilliantly done!

I highly recommend this book to readers of mystery and thrillers. In addition, if you love strong female characters you will enjoy Maud and her story.

I received a free copy from the published in exchange for my honest review.

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Well, Saint X, by Alexis Schaitkin, was not what I expected. I was thinking this would be a thriller with lots of action to pull the story along. I was very wrong. It read more like literary fiction and the plot was agonizing slow.

The story opens on the fictitious Caribbean island of Saint X. Where Claire, age 8, arrives with her older sister Alison, age 18, and their parents. The vacation precedes along uneventful and the family is enjoying the five star resort and all the amenities until Alison goes missing.

The small island is combed for clues to no avail. After numerous days of searching, two tourists take a short boat ride to the uninhabited island just off the coast of Saint X and discover Alison’s body. The key suspects in the case are two employees of the resort where the family is staying. After questioning them, they are released because at the time of the Alison’s death they were in jail. Therefore, Alison’s death just becomes another unsolved mystery.

Skip forward a number of years and Claire is now an adult and working for a publishing company in New York City. Life seems to have moved on for her. All that changes with a chance encounter with one of the suspects, Clive, or GoGo as he was known on the island. Claire is haunted with the past and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. She stalks Clive and then inserts herself into his life. Will Clive be able to give her the answers she is seeking?

Can a story suffer from over development? Absolutely! This is what happened here. I understood Claire and her desperate need to have answers. The author gets the reader inside the characters’ heads. Yet, it became too much in the end.

The rich descriptive prose that I started out loving became burdensome in the end. I got to the point I just wanted the story to move on. I only finished this book because I wanted to know what happened to Alison. In short, too verbose for my tastes.

I have read some of the other reviews and know that a lot of people loved this book. I just was not one of those people. I think it was of case of the wrong book for me. I suggest you read some other reviews before you decide if this is a book for you or not.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

As suggested from the title, Stalking Jack the Ripper, is a YA horror/murder mystery book (very) loosely based on the real murders of young women in London during the 1880s. The author, Kerri Maniscalco, has presented the reader with a young protagonist who will capture your heart with her courage, defiance and tenacity as she works to solve the murders.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is an educated young woman and daughter of a Lord. Ladies of her standing are expected to be prime and proper. Yet, she finds the society demands upon her restricting and she rebels against them. Even though her father has expressly forbidden it, she has been learning forensic science through her Uncle who is an expert in the field. So naturally she is thrilled to help her Uncle examine the first victim of Jack he Ripper.

Then when her Uncle of all people is arrested for the murders, she vows to find out the truth. For Audrey Rose this is the being of a very dangerous path. One that could lead even to her death.

I appreciated the fast pace of the book and it had plenty of twists to keep you guessing. The prose was also good and I liked the attention to detail given to the scenes. Pace will only take the reader so far and this book had a good mix of both.

I liked the characters in this book, especially Audrey Rose. In truth, I felt her character was a little bit of a stretch for the times but it worked so well in the story I can’t really find fault. Sometimes a little creative license is necessary for a good story. After all it is fiction meant to entertain. At the end the author does give you the facts of what happened in London during this time and shows how those facts were used to create the story.

This book has been on my TBR list for almost a year. I wish I had read it sooner because if was entertaining and just what I needed as a distraction amid this virus lockdown. The book definitely has a Holmes and Watson vibe to it, albeit a younger male/female version. I highly recommend for those readers that like this type of book. Being a historical book with a light touch of romance I think there will be a wider audience that will enjoy it and recommend you give it a read.

I received a free copy from the publisher, at BookExpo 2019, in exchange for my honest review.

Sinner, Saint, or Serpent by John Anthony Miller

Sinner, Saint or Serpent, by John Anthony Miller, is a twisted murder mystery that will keep even the best sleuth in the dark until the very last page. The book opens and closes with a bang and the ending took me totally by surprise. I need more books like this!

No one seems very upset when August Chevalier, a prominent business man, is murdered, Mafia style, in his own home. After all, he was a ruthless businessman with questionable practices and even a few ties with the mob. No wonder no one seems too enthusiastic about finding the killer, including the police, with one exception being a local reporter named “Justice” Harper.

Justice earned his nickname by being a fair and honest reporter that always seeks the truth. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he wants to find the killer who committed this crime. He feels he owes that to the citizens of New Orleans. Of course the added benefit of solving the crime before the police is getting a big scoop for the newspaper.

Justice along with his colleague, Remy Moore, work together to discover who killed Mr. Chevalier. There are three prime suspects. The philanthropist Lucinda Boyd, known for her many charity efforts that benefit the folks of New Orleans, the wealthy businesswoman Blaze Barbeau with a questionable past, and the voodoo queen of New Orleans, Belladonna Dede. They all have motives for waiting him dead and all three can be placed close to the scene around the time of his death. So who did it?

Loved Mr. Miller’s descriptive prose of 1920s New Orleans. It was wonderful and I got a real sense of the vibe of the city. I could just imagine going to a speak-easy and listening to the jazz band play, then strolling the streets of the French Quarter. The city described had a mysterious air to it and that made it the perfect setting for a murder mystery.

The plot was superbly done. It opened with the murder; therefore, I was invested in the story right away. The tension in the plot slowly built so that I always wanted to keep reading to get the next clue and try to figure out who the killer was before the final reveal. By the end I was sitting on the edge of my seat and then when I finally arrived there I was totally blown away. Did not see that coming at all!

If you love mysteries you need to read this book. Great story and awesome execution! You will love it!

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.