A Vote for Murder (Murder, She Wrote. #22) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain. Narrated by Cynthia Darlow

A Vote for Murder 

(Murder, She Wrote, #22)

By: Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Narrated by: Cynthia Darlow

Published: October 2004

Published By: Blackstone Audiobooks 

Format Read: Audiobook, OverDrive App. 

Genre: Mystery, Series, Cozy Mystery

Rating: 3/5

💚💚💚

Beloved mystery author Jessica Fletcher is invited to Washington D.C. to a literary event hosted by a senator and his wife. When the chief of staff for the senator is found dead at the opening dinner party, Jessica uncovers a trail of shady politics, extortion and affairs.

A Vote for Murder is a mystery that tied in the importance of literacy with a murder the shined the spotlight on corruption. It was an interesting storyline that kept my attention, even though the literacy event did take a backseat to that of the politicians involved. Unfortunately I did have some issues with the final revelations, mostly pertaining to one character whose actions didn’t exactly line up with the initial traits given to them earlier in the novel.

Still I think that Jessica Fletcher is a wonderful character and I like how she always manages to stay poised and level-headed during the situations she finds herself in.

It is nice to come across a larger series where each book can be read as a stand-alone. Mention of previous mysteries are noted, but it isn’t necessary for the reader to have read them in order to understand the current installment.

Cynthia Darlow was a good narrator, however I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t done by Angela Lansbury herself. After-all no one would be better suited to voice Jessica Fletcher than the actress who made the character famous.

I would recommend A Vote for Murder and the Murder, She Wrote series to fans of the television show and light mysteries. 

Death Comes to Kurland Hall (Kurland St. Mary Mystery #3) by Catherine Lloyd

 

 

Title: Death Comes to Kurland Hall (Kurland St. Mary Mystery #3)
Author: Catherine Lloyd
Published: November 2015
Published By: Kensington
Format Read: eBook, Hardcover
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Cozy Mystery
Date Read: January 17 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

 

 

I was sent a copy of Catherine Lloyd's Death Comes to Kurland Hall from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. 

This book picks up where the second book (Death Comes to London) left off Lucy and Robert are back at their respective homes and preparing for the marriage of their mutual friends. The big day arrives and the guests and host say goodbye to the newlyweds as they leave on their honeymoon. All is going as well as can be expected until the gossiping Mrs. Chingford suffers a fatal fall down a rarely used staircase. Readers follow Lucy and Robert as they piece together the woman’s mysterious death as suspects continue to add up. 

Stand alone?

First of all I would to mention that this third installment of the Kurland St. Mary mystery series doesn’t exactly make for a stand-alone novel. There is a fairly large cast of characters with storylines that have been carried over from the first two books. I read the second book Death Comes to London earlier last year and even with that in mind, it took me some time to work out who was who. I think that a character map or list would have been very beneficial. 

Regency

Set in regency England this is the first series I have ever enjoyed that was set in this time period. Normally this era doesn’t interest me. Perhaps the reason why I enjoy it is because it is written in more of a modern tone, while including historic detail. 

Lucy

Another reason why the Kurland St. Mary series keeps my interest is due in part to its strong female lead character; Lucy Harrington. She may have an irritatingly stubborn streak, but she certainly has a mind of her own. She isn’t portrayed as a weak damsel in distress, like women often are in this time period. 

Recommendations

Death Comes to Kurland Hall made for another interesting mystery and set readers up for the next installment in the series. I would recommend this book to fans of the previous two books.  

NOTE: Originally I obtained Death Comes to Kurland Hall from Net Galley. However I began having trouble with the file, so the publisher Kensington were kind enough to send me a hard cover copy.

Previous Books in the Kurland St. Mary Mystery Series by Catherine Lloyd:

(Click link for Goodreads page)

1. Death Comes to Kurland St. Mary (#1)

2. Death Comes to London (#2)

        My Review

Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon

Title: Pane and Suffering
Author: Cheryl Hollon
Published: September 2015
Published By: Kensington
Format Read: eBook, Kobo, NetGalley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Read: October 19 2015
Rating: 3/5 

I was sent a copy of Pane and Suffering by Cheryl Hollon from the publisher via NetGlley, in exchange for an honest review. 

Savannah Webb returns to her hometown of St. Petersburg Florida following the unexpected death of her father. Her intention is to sell his glass shop to their good family friend Hugh Trevor, but when he is found dead in the workshop, she begins to suspect that perhaps her father’s death is connected. Savannah is then left to teach her father’s glass art class with a cast of quirky students and an awkward apprentice, while mourning her losses and trying to decide the fate of the shop. When she discovers coded messages her father wrote her before his death she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery. 

Pane and Suffering was a quick cozy mystery that kept my attention throughout. I particularly enjoyed the setting in a glass shop. I found this to be quite unique, especially for a murder mystery. The author really showcased her knowledge in glass art. She even featured a glossary for terms relating to glasswork in the back of the book. For this reason Pane and Suffering would be best enjoyed in physical book format, rather than in an eBook, in case the reader is interested in referencing any of the terms mentioned. I learned a lot about this craft and it has inspired me to do some more research into it, for my own personal knowledge. Another interesting point to this story was the mention of geocaching and how Savannah’s father used their hobby to guide his daughter to solve the mystery. 

The use of geocaching and ciphers in this story made for an interesting engaging discovery, however I don’t think it was utilized to its fullest extent. The author used some foreshadowing throughout, which helped narrow down motives for the crimes. Yet in the end when the murders were solved I didn’t feel as if they were fully explained. I don’t know if this lack of information was due to length restrictions or the fact that the author wanted the reader to use their imaginations, but I would have been more satisfied with a more descriptive conclusion. 

Despite a couple of my own personal grievances, I did enjoy Cheryl Hollon’s Pane and Suffering and would recommend it to cozy mystery fans.    

The Hanged Man's Noose: A Glass Dolphin Mystery (Book 1) by Judy Penz Sheluk

Title: The Hanged Man's Noose: A Glass Dolphin Mystery (Book 1)
Author: Judy Penz Sheluk
Published: July 2015
Published By: Barking Rain Press
Format Read: eBook, Kobo
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery
Date Read: September 25 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

I received a copy of The Hanged Man’s Noose from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Garrett Stonehaven is a big shot Toronto developer, who has set his eyes on a piece of property in the small town of Lount’s Landing. Unfortunately for him not everyone agrees with his plan to destroy a closed school in the downtown core to build a shopping centre in its place. Then one of Stonehaven’s biggest opposer’s dies of an apparent allergic reaction. Meanwhile a young freelance writer by the name of Emily Garland moves to town under the disguise of the new editor for a local magazine. However her real task is to spy on Stonehaven and report back to her boss in the city. Centered on a group of downtown merchants The Hanged Man’s Noose also follows Arabella, a new antiques dealer and Johnny a paint shop owner. 

My thoughts:

Several weeks ago I saw an article about a local author who had recently released her debut novel and I jumped at the chance to offer my support. I was especially excited to learn that The Hanged Man’s Noose is a mystery novel set so close to home. 

Small town, big plans:

Lount’s Landing is a work of fiction, which is based loosely on the real town of Holland Landing, Ontario. Historic downtowns are some of my favourite places to visit here in Ontario, so I was able to create a vivid picture of the setting in my head. Also being from a small town myself, I was able to relate with the residents reactions to redevelopment and expansion. There are always people who are against any kind of change, no matter how big or small and it is common for small town folk to be leery of big city companies moving in. Growing animosity opens the flood gates for all kinds of trouble and with that brings inspiration for a creative story. 

It’s all in the details:

One thing I have noticed in other mysteries is the lack of backstory or history of its characters and setting. This is definitely not the case in the Hanged Man’s Noose. In fact the past is a very integral part of the mystery. Readers learn of connections between several key characters that date back to the time of their youth. Even the history of Lount’s Landing’s namesake is also mentioned. I was very impressed by the attention to detail the author gave to the story. I found myself getting excited at the mere mention of even a popular radio station and other Ontario related tidbits and locations.

The cast:

As the plot developed readers are introduced to several characters who become suspects in the mounting mysteries, some are more familiar and others are briefly mentioned. I admit that I became a bit confused as to which character was which, especially in the example of the secondary characters. I think that I would benefit from re-reading this book so that I can pay more attention to these individuals. Emily’s career as a freelance investigative journalist made for a believable sleuth and Arabella’s keen interest in history made them a great team. However in the real world, I believe that these two intelligent ladies would have solved the mystery in less time than it took in the book.  

In conclusion:

The Hanged Man’s Noose was an enjoyable novel and I look forward reading more by Judy Penz Sheluk in the future. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy cozy mysteries with a little more meat to its story. 

Notable Quotes:

“HavenSent Developments is exploring a development opportunity in Lount’s Landing. Nothing unusual, though it is a bit far afield, even for someone as ruthless as Garrett Stonehaven. But our source tells us there’s more to Stonehaven’s latest plan than meets the eye. Much more.”

“Eyes so dark brown they looked black. Miner’s eyes, her old pals at boarding school would have called them, the kind of eyes that would dig their way into the depth of your soul.”

“Wasn’t Lount’s Landing named after Samuel Lount? What kind of town was named for a man who’d been hanged for treason?”

“Honestly there are more horses’ asses than horses in this town.”

 

Additional Information:

For more information about the author and where to purchase The Hanged Man’s Noose please visit her website:Judy Penz Sheluk