The Scheme

Carson Crime Files, #1

by

Amethyst Drake

An intriguing missing person’s investigation launches this new mystery series.

The Scheme is the debut novel in author Amethyst Drake’s new mystery series, the Carson Crime Files, and kicks off with the puzzling disappearance of a young bio-medical graduate student at Johns Hopkins. The story uses a team approach to solve the case, and I was quickly drawn in, easily completing it in one sitting. 

Katherine Carson is the primary lead of the partners who make up Carson Investigations, and she takes on the case of the missing Olivia Ames at the behest of the girl’s wealthy and distraught father. The police have already looked into the case and decided he is overreacting. At 24 years of age, Olivia is clearly old enough to have left under her own steam; still, her father is insistent that she wouldn’t have left without letting him know where she was going. 

Sammi, the youngest employee at Carson Investigations, is tasked with checking out Olivia’s laptop for clues to what she might have been planning, but she disagrees with snooping into the woman’s affairs. Checking her social media for clues proves fruitless and serves as a reminder that online practices have changed significantly since the 2008 setting of this story. In her eagerness to prove she knows more than the investigators, Sammi reveals private information to a potential suspect, then gets upset when Katherine calls her out. 

The story is chock-full of interesting secondary characters whom the investigators encounter while searching for the missing girl. While some are good and helpful, others are pathetic and slimy, and one is more interested in the detective than the case itself. I really felt character development was one of the author’s strengths. 

As there are few clues to build on, Katherine and her team must start from scratch. Aspects of the case remind Katherine of trauma from her past, and it was hard to watch her as she struggled to get past her memories. The investigation resolves and, surprisingly, flows right into a new mystery with a cliffhanger ending. 

I recommend THE SCHEME to mystery readers who like private detective stories with strong female main characters. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Terrabyte Security

Mountain Town Mysteries, #2

by

Tena Stetler

Suspense and passion done right!

Terrabyte Security is the second book in Tena Stetler’s suspenseful and passion-filled Mountain Town Mysteries series, and cases involving returning characters and new ones combine for an intriguing return to the small town of Aspen Ridge. With business booming and romance blossoming, I was hooked by the latest cases and enjoyed the story from start to finish. 

While Candle Bearclaw and her new husband, Miacoh, are the main protagonists of the series, this new adventure focuses on their friend, employee, and confirmed bachelor, Cayson Eriksson. However, Molly Malone Reacher, a new client and the apparent victim of identity theft and a stalker, might just be the woman to change Cayson’s personal status. Although they experience an immediate attraction to each other, both resist following through initially, but they realize quickly that there’s something special between them. The resulting passion is a scorcher. 

I was absorbed by the intricate plot, which presents multiple mysteries to unravel. One of these mysteries involves Ben Alrich, the husband of Candle’s best friend, Gabby. The tension surrounding his disappearance was particularly intense, and Gabby’s distress was truly heart-wrenching. New client Molly’s situation is complex, with a couple of theories to pursue as to who is behind her troubles. One such theory involves the thesis she was working on for her degree, and, if the statistics about missing Indigenous women cited in the story are correct, they are absolutely shocking. This complexity and suspense will keep readers on the edge of their seats. 

Between the compelling plot and slow-burn romance, I couldn’t put this book down. I recommend TERRABYTE SECURITY to readers of adult romantic suspense. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Halloween Parade Peril

Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery, #10

by

Victoria Tait

Plot twists and viable suspects will keep readers guessing!

Halloween Parade Peril is the tenth book in author Victoria Tait's excellent British cozy mystery series featuring Dotty Sayers, a young widow building a fledgling antiques business. However, the story stands well on its own, and new readers will easily be able to slip into the action and have a great reading experience. 

Dotty returns to her home in the Cotswolds and soon receives a commission to help furnish a small historic castle being converted into a boutique hotel with some unique and hard-to-find antiques. When she discovers an upcoming Dublin auction scheduled for early November and advertising some promising pieces on her list, she decides to attend. Coincidentally, her good friend, Sergeant Keya Varma, is also planning a trip to Dublin to watch her boyfriend Sujin's band perform at the annual Bram Stoker Festival, held on the days leading up to Halloween, so they decide to travel together. Still trying to figure out where she stands in her relationship with her friend Zach, Dottie lets him know about her plans and is encouraged when he suggests meeting up in Dublin for a long-overdue catch-up. But despite the wonderful sightseeing and Zach's apparent interest, their promising reunion is tragically interrupted by murder. 

Dotty Sayers, the main character in this excellent series, returns home after completing several successful commissions and solving murders on the road, advanced antiques training, and with a confidence that has grown exponentially throughout the previous novels, ready to set up her own antiques business. Naturally, she has concerns about her relationship with Zach, who has his own fish to fry and has often given mixed signals in the past. It was great to have Dotty and Keya back together again, working together to solve the murder alongside the local Guarda. These two make a fun and effective team. 

The story features many of the sights, sounds, folklore, and history of the country, its people, and the city of Dublin in particular, with vivid descriptions of the surroundings and the activities the characters take part in. Almost a quarter of the book covers Dotty's visit and establishes the group's dynamics and the events leading up to the murder. From there, the investigation takes over and takes off! Several good suspects and some surprising plot twists distract or direct armchair detectives toward or away from the clues in the story until the final resolution reveals the tale. 

I recommend HALLOWEEN PARADE PERIL to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy a Halloween seasonal story, a Dublin setting, or are fans of the previous books in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Ruby

Service Dog, #1

by

Jack Heape

Inspirational and informative story of Ruby and Toby’s journey from show ring to service dog.

Ruby is the inaugural book in author Jack Heape’s new middle-grade series about service dogs, telling the inspirational story of a budding champion show dog and her young handler who discover another calling in their lives as a service dog and a service dog trainer. Readers of all ages will surely find the story informative and heartwarming. 

Toby Durham developed a passion for handling dogs in the show ring early and became one of the youngest and most successful handlers in competition. He longs to start and finish his own champion, and he gets that chance with owner/breeder Madeleine Fulbright and a young Irish Setter puppy named Ruby. The story details much of the behind-the-scenes work and commitment involved in pursuing his dream, including the considerations and accommodations his family and parents make to help him realize it. 

While this aspect of the plot is awesome on its own, it’s not the only storyline. When Toby’s family moves for his father’s job, one of Toby’s new neighbors is Rachel Parker, a girl about his own age who experiences seizures of such an unpredictable nature that she is literally restricted to her own home. A chance meeting and Ruby’s instinctive actions, which appear to warn Rachel of an impending seizure, changes life for everyone. 

Ruby, Toby, and Rachel’s story is inspirational reading and chock-full of dog care, dog and handler training, and the amazing collaboration between one incredible dog and the humans in her life. I recommend RUBY for readers of middle-grade fiction, especially those who love books about dogs. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

A Murder and Maggie MacGill

by

Rebecca Lee Smith

An out-of-work elementary school art teacher becomes a suspect in a murder case!

A Murder and Maggie MacGill is a fun, cozy mystery by Rebecca Lee Smith that features former elementary school art teacher Maggie MacGill and the close-knit community of Wrenhaven, Tennessee. When the wealthiest woman in town dies unexpectedly and leaves her fortune to Maggie, bypassing her grandsons and other family members and retainers, talk goes around town that Maggie may have had a hand in Mrs. Grayson's death. 

Maggie is an engaging and relatable young woman, with everyday worries as well as those resulting from a recent stretch of bad luck. Not only did she discover her boyfriend's grandmother's body, but she also lost her job due to budget cuts and her boyfriend to a Hooter's waitress (his soulmate – like he even has a soul!) With her father recuperating from an injury and unable to work as a painting contractor, and her brother's new restaurant still struggling to get off the ground, she's the sole breadwinner for the present. When Constance Grayson leaves the bulk of her estate to Maggie rather than family, though, people start to talk and speculate. But when the woman's death proves to be from natural causes, someone starts playing pranks that quickly escalate into the danger zone. Maggie is compelled to get to the bottom of things so she can accept her inheritance and use some of her good fortune to help others in her town. 

The author populates the East Tennessee mountain town with a variety of fun neighbors and potential suspects. Eli Grayson, one of the dead woman's grandsons and a horrible memory from Maggie's past, returns to Wrenhaven just before his grandmother's death. While he was the catalyst for Maggie's bullying in high school, he seems genuinely sincere in his apology and regret for his youthful behavior. The chemistry between the two is electric, while her relationship with his cousin, Stephen, her former boyfriend, was a shocking disappointment, as he was such an awful individual. 

The story is well-paced, with the discovery of Mrs. Grayson's death occurring early in the book and the development of the town of Wrenhaven, its residents, and Maggie's current situation unfolding organically without info-dumping. I was behind Maggie every step of the way as she searched for answers, dodged disasters, and considered what to do with Mrs. Grayson's legacy. As the deceased was generally disliked by many people, who also felt like she owed them for her nastiness in life, there are plenty of suspects to consider before the person behind everything is identified. The big reveal was exciting and played out with some unusual twists, including the appearance of an unlikely hero. 

I recommend A MURDER AND MAGGIE MACGILL to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy art-themed stories or Tennessee settings. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.