BOOK REVIEW: The Body in the Piazza, by Katherine Hall Page

The Body in the Piazza: A Faith Fairchild Mystery, by Katherine Hall Page

Published by HarperCollins on April 30, 2013

First reviewed on Cozy Little Book Journal on April 4, 2013

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I didn't quite "get" this book. I haven't read any in the Faith Fairchild series so I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but it wasn't this. Faith Fairchild is the wife of a minister who travels (extensively, by the looks of some of the other titles), this time to Rome. Although it seems like Faith and her husband Tom are happily married, almost as soon as they arrive Faith engages in a flirtatious and--to my mind--wildly inappropriate relationship with a British stranger named Freddy Ives (mild spoiler: he's the "body" in the piazza). The beginning of the book read like a cross between The Man Who Knew Too Much with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day and Bitter Moon with Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. But Faith and Freddy never actually kissed or anything, so I was left wondering if I was misreading it. Was I more prudish than the author of a series about a minister's wife? It was weird.

Weirder still is the fact that after Freddy is murdered, Faith initially vows to solve the crime (as one would expect in a "Faith Fairchild Mystery") but then leaves to go on some sort of cooking retreat with her husband for a huge portion of the book. It does all tie in at the end, but I was confused by the change of pace. All sense of urgency was gone as Faith spent days and days perfecting her homemade pasta. I actually found myself skipping ahead to make sure they really did get back to talking about Freddy eventually.

Ultimately it was the lack of urgency that made the book fall apart for me. The author note at the end talks about her own to trip to Italy which was the basis of the book (even the author's note was long and rambling and didn't connect to anything). It seems obvious that this book was a "love letter to Italy" as the author says, but with a murder mystery thrown clumsily in so she could call it a mystery. Mostly it's just a collection of "stuff that happened" with little connective tissue and no stakes. It should have been called Eat, Pray, Murder.

BOOK REVIEW: The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

The Cuckoo's Calling
Author: Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date:
Source: my local library
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I forgot to write a review for this when I read it months ago. Basically my feelings can best be summed up with this chart:

BOOK REVIEW: The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor, by Simon Brett

The Christmas Crimes at Puzzel Manor

Author: Simon Brett

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Publication Date: October 15, 1992

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Source: I borrowed this from my local library years ago. Now that I think about it, I should probably buy myself a copy.

I read this ages ago (probably 10 years or more) and I can't remember if I ever wrote a review, even in the form of notes to myself about the book. Nonetheless, I do remember that it is one of my favourite mystery books of all time ever. Full stop. It contains puzzles throughout the book, usually at the end or beginning of each chapter and, although you can just keep reading to see how the protagonists solve the puzzles, the plot of the whodunnit advances better if you solve the mysteries yourself as you go. And unlike the Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall, it's not just crosswords or Sudoku. It's clever logic problems and other brain teasers that are left by the killer for the sleuths--and the reader--to find and solve. I LOVE LOVE LOVED it so much that I sincerely wished it was not only one in a series but one in a genre of mystery novels. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Case of the Missing Servant, by Tarquin Hall

The Case of the Missing Servant:
From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator 
Series: Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator
Author: Tarquin Hall
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Publication Date: June 16, 2009
Source: local library
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I can't believe I forgot to review this sooner, since it's probably my favourite book in the Vish Puri series. I read them out of order, so even though this is the first one in the series, I read it third. They're easily read in any order, though. The first one I read was The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken and I fell in love with everything about it. But even I was surprised with how much I enjoyed The Case of the Missing Servant. It's both a well written book and a jolly good mystery. Plus, it was good to finally get more insight into some of the characters' back stories, particularly the origins of their nicknames (Facecream, Handbrake, etc.). If you've never read a Vish Puri novel, this one is a great start.

BOOK REVIEW: Death of Yesterday, by M.C. Beaton

Death of Yesterday: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery, by M.C. Beaton

Published by Grand Central on March 26, 2013

Review first appeared on Cozy Little Book Journal on April 18, 2013

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I have been a huge fan of M.C. Beaton--particularly the Hamish Macbeth series--for so long that I get very excited every time I see a new book in the series. So excited, in fact, that I seem to forget all of the problems the books have had over the years, especially recently. 

BOOK REVIEW: Out of the Frying Pan, by Robin Allen

Out of the Frying Pan

(A Poppy Markham Culinary Cop Mystery)

Author: Robin Allen

Publisher: Midnight Ink Books

Publication Date: July 8, 2013

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It was pretty good. With an amateur sleuth in the form of a food safety inspector (but I like "culinary cop" better) and a murder that takes place on an organic farm, it satisfies the cozy mystery fan AND the wannabe foodie in me. And a lot of the characters are fantastic, particularly the socialite stepmother (whom I pictured as a slightly younger Lucille Bluth). But at times I felt like I needed the out of state translation guide. It seemed VERY Texas at times, with more references to college football than I could keep up with. There were entire passages I had to reread slowly just to figure out which things I needed to look up. This should not be a problem for people who know about Texas, American colleges, or sports, but I fit into none of those categories. 

Apart from being a little confusing (almost convoluted) at times, I'd give it a solid B+.

BOOK REVIEW: Killer Librarian, by Mary Lou Kirwin

Killer Librarian
Author: Mary Lou Kirwin
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: November 27, 2012
Source: local library
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Full Disclosure: I didn't finish this book. I rarely abandon a book I'm not enjoying, not because I have a problem doing so, but because so many of the books I read have been provided by publishers through review programs (usually in the form of digital galleys) and I feel bad abandoning them because then I can't write a proper review. So usually I slog on, even if I'm hating the book (which almost always results in a negative review, but at least an honest one). In this case I had gotten the book from the library so I hadn't promised a review to anyone, so I didn't feel bad about stopping after only a few chapters.

So here's why I abandoned Killer Librarian: