Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees

Murder, She Wrote, #62

by

Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

The leaves are at the peak of fall color, and Cabot Cove is at its most dangerous!

Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees is the 62^nd book in the cozy mystery series based on the past television show, which it takes its name from, and is, of course, penned by Jessica Fletcher and co-author Terrie Farley Moran. The story, set in Cabot Cove, Maine, during prime leaf-peeper season, is a wonderful page-turner, with multiple storylines woven together. 

When the body of a young woman, a tourist in town with several girlfriends for a fall color and coastal fishing tour, is found caught in the limbs of a tree from an apparent fall from the scenic point on a ridge above, everyone assumes it to be a tragic accident. But when Dr. Seth Hazlitt does an on-the-scene examination of the body, what he discovers points toward her being involved in some kind of altercation before her fall, indicating foul play. 

As Sheriff Mort Metzger and Jessica work in concert but independently to figure out how the young woman ended up on the ridge, Mort is also struggling to find The Bicycle Bandit, a masked individual who is grabbing women’s purses around town and racing off on a bike. Jessica is also trying to research and write her next book while preparing to participate in an upcoming children’s hospital event for Halloween, as her phone is literally ringing off the hook with requests for help with any number of other matters. 

I’m always delighted to return to Cabot Cove and to the active, fascinating life of former teacher, now acclaimed mystery writer, Jessica Fletcher, or J.B. Fletcher, her nom de plume. Author Terrie Farley Moran has shouldered the Murder, She Wrote series and has done an outstanding job of capturing the stylish charm and tone of the original television show while also bringing in a breath of fresh, revitalizing air to it. Keeping a 62-book series interesting and fresh is quite an amazing feat. But Moran consistently outperforms my expectations. 

Jessica is her same observant self, and so put upon, in this installment, at every ring of the phone; it is a wonder she is ever able to get as much done as she does. Next-door neighbor, Maeve O’Bannon, is busy as well with their mutual neighbor, the elderly and until now independent Ruth Lewandowski, who is showing her age and beginning to forget recently held conversations. Mort is almost overwhelmed with his cases, especially when the mayor, Jim Shevlin, takes an unusually aggressive interest in things in the name of protecting the town’s reputation as a ranking tourist destination. Naturally, Maureen is worried about her husband, and I was glad she could take an active role in helping him come out on top. 

The story is well-paced with just the right number of distractions to keep readers invested and, hopefully, prevent them from solving the mysteries too soon. There were several promising suspects, and the resolution may come as a surprise to many. However, there were clues along the way for sharp armchair detectives to discover and consider. The story is smooth and absorbing, and I happily read the entire book in one great evening. 

I recommend THE BODY IN THE TREES to cozy mystery readers, especially those who are fans or familiar with the former TV program. 

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

Illusion of Truth

Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #3

by

James L'Etoile

Heart-pounding action and complex plot twists!

Illusion of Truth is the third book in author James L'Etoile's riveting Detective Emily Hunter Mystery series, and in this latest story, the tables are turned as Sacramento PD's finest become the target of a killer. When Emily's romantic partner, Sergeant Brian Conner, is severely injured in a targeted church bombing, her need for a swift and successful closure to the investigation is not only critical but personal. But as additional attacks on more officers and others continue, the clues seem to point to a vendetta against the particular officers themselves, and getting the answers she needs to find the bomber becomes harder and harder as one of their own is implicated. 

Emily is such a relatable woman. With her mother in memory care and her having mixed feelings about merging households with her significant other while holding down a crucial, tension-filled job, you can't help but root for her the entire time. No wonder she's blunt. In her shoes, who would have time to play games or pussyfoot around? I love her dedication to her job, but I moan over her keeping her thoughts to herself and not letting Javier know what she's thinking when she's on the track of a solution, although I enjoy their usual rapport. I understand both her having second thoughts about taking this next step with Brian and his disappointment that she didn't jump for joy at his suggestion. Brian's story is tragic, fraught with the pain of the initial injury, recuperations, and rehabilitation, and his natural and realistic concerns for his future: one that may be much different from the one he'd planned. Even partner Javier is facing tough decisions about his future due to his growing relationship with Jenny, who has been offered a spectacular opportunity in Portland's larger media market. 

The plot is well-paced and suspenseful as Sacramento PD officers are being stalked, manipulated, and attacked. Just when I thought I knew where the story was headed, a new twist would literally grab the plot and drag it in another direction. Not only did the story make me jumpy, wondering when the next attack would come and whether it would be against Emily or Javier, but the action and clever redirection kept me glued to the pages for hours at a time. I didn't want to put the book down until I knew what the resolution would be. This latest book may be my favorite of the series so far. 

I recommend ILLUSION OF TRUTH to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and suspenseful police procedurals. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Struck Dead

Forensic Instincts, #10

by

Andrea Kane

Thrilling and complex! A riveting murder mystery!

Struck Dead is the tenth book in author Andrea Kane’s thrilling Forensic Instincts series, and all I can say is, “How have I missed reading this fabulous series before?” This story hit the ground running, and I was firmly in its grip from the very start! 

Forensic Instincts is a high-tech investigative firm with a skilled team of professionals who have built an impressive resume of successes. Founder and president Casey Woods becomes the target of a police investigation of the murder of a wealthy, high-profile businessman and of whomever is behind it. She and her coworkers scramble to solve the murder and a previous hit-and-run accident the murder victim was suspected of causing to clear her name. The urgency of the situation and the tension are clear from the outset, and there are few clues on which to springboard into their investigation. From the first twist, Casey’s name scrawled the dead man’s own blood, the story kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and there were more to follow. 

The investigation to exonerate Casey is a team effort, including help from outside experts, so there were many people to keep straight. Thankfully, the author has a talent for developing well-defined, interesting, easily differentiated characters. Between the twists and turns in the plot, I enjoyed reading about these characters’ roles in the investigation and how they used their skills. Very early on, I was amused by Emma Stirling’s enthusiasm and playfulness (“Student bests master, Bam.”) but was alarmed later by the situation she put herself in with Brighton, as were the more experienced team members. They really are a family. 

With its tense storyline and likable characters, I recommend STRUCK DEAD to thriller and mystery readers and fans of the previous books in the FORENSIC INSTINCTS series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

The Dreamer

The Black Stone Cycle, Book One

by

Linda Patricia Cleary

Great start to a new YA space adventure series about young misfits fighting a secret organization intent on taking over the universe.

Sixteen-year-old Ash Bennett has grown up traveling around the solar system with her parents in a space vessel of her engineer father’s design. But as she’s gotten older, she’s come to realize the secretive nature of their existence and is starting to believe her parents are keeping secrets from her. When she returns to tragedy at their ship docked on the surface of Phobos after a routine supply run, she becomes tragically certain that they had been holding out on her. Now she’s on the run from killers – Mind Squad Agents – with three new companions she’s not at all sure she can trust. 

The Dreamer is a marvelous beginning to this exciting new young adult science fiction space-adventure series by Linda Patricia Cleary, and the story hits the ground running, even as the author undertakes the heavy lifting of crafting a unique and robust universe for the story. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, Ash’s and those of other major characters, with great effect. 

Ash is a typical teenager, full of curiosity, emotions, new feelings, and uncertain about her current life and her future, and that’s before tragedy strikes. The author immediately builds suspense with Ash’s thoughts on her and her parents’ solitary lifestyle and the odd, recurring dreams that leave her waking in a sweat. Now on her own, Ash must grow up quickly while discovering she’s developing strange new abilities like those of the universe’s much-maligned Pathers. 

Joining her in the story is Edan Wagner, whose parents lead the notorious space pirates, the Rippers. He’s trying hard to walk away from that life, and his parents aren’t having it. The twins, Isaac and Isabel, are Pathers with strong kinetic and telepathic abilities, and are searching for their own parents, who disappeared from their home on Mars. They, too, are being hunted, as are pathers throughout the solar system, by whom and for what purpose no one seems to know. Each of these characters has a strong, intriguing underlying storyline that I look forward to learning more about as the series progresses. 

The plot is vibrant with compelling backstories of first contact and Earth’s demise, leaving it a spoiled, uninhabitable rock in space. Alien races, such as the Kai and Qreegs, freely mingle with humans throughout the solar system, which advances in technology had opened to exploration and settlement for quite some time by the time of the events in the book. There are plenty of bad guys to escape from as the new friends learn to trust each other and seek answers about their parents. Their group of misfit young adults slowly expands as they rescue others in need along the way. As this is the start of a new series, not all questions are answered, leaving ample territory for future books. 

I recommend THE DREAMER to readers of young adult science fiction and space adventures. 

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

Track of Courage

Call of the Wild, #1

by

Susan May Warren

The courage to make hard decisions has gotten her where she is and will determine her future.

Track of Courage is the first novel in veteran author Susan May Warren's new Christian romantic suspense series, Call of the Wild, and is set deep in the wilds of the Alaskan bush. Mega-popstar Keely Williams, "Bliss" to her millions of devoted fans, has come to Copper Mountain, Alaska, to search for her birth mother while she recuperates from the surgery she had undergone to repair her vocal cords. But once faced with the reality of introducing herself to this stranger, Keely chickens out and decides to fly back home to New York City without revealing herself to the vibrant, confident woman she found or asking her all the questions she has about why she gave her up for adoption. However, once on the small bush plane to Anchorage, another passenger hijacks the plane, causing it to crash in the middle of nowhere. Surviving the crash, but with the attacker after her, Keely is forced to flee into the snowy, forested bush. 

Flying overhead, Dawson Mulligan, an Anchorage police officer recuperating from an on-duty injury, and his pilot cousin, Moose, see the wreckage of the small plane and set down to investigate. When Dawson's rescue dog, Caspian, disappears into the snowy landscape, they separate with Dawson in pursuit. He runs across Keely, lost and hiding in the bush, and under fire from an unknown assailant. With the help of a local, they make it to Woodcrest, a community of artists and artisans, to hunker down as a massive blizzard hits. 

Both main characters, Keely and Dawson, are working through past traumas, heartbreak, and physical challenges that may alter the futures they had planned for themselves. Both faced difficult decisions, and their similar circumstances drew them together. The generous and welcoming residents of Woodcrest, with their open, natural belief in God, offer the balm their two struggling souls need at just the right time. Their individual strengths and talents provide each with the means to give back for the hospitality and feel useful rather than a drain on the weather-besieged community. Keely and Dawson are attracted to each other from the start, and their light flirting and banter were a delight. They meshed so well, looking like the perfect couple if they could overcome their obstacles together. 

The plot is well-paced and suspenseful as Keely's former fellow passenger is revealed to be a real and ongoing danger not only to herself but also to the Woodcrest community. As the weather worsens, everyone is trapped in place until the storms move on. The harsh conditions and remote setting pose their own dangers and significantly shape the plot's trajectory. As the suspense built and one twist after another appeared, there was no way I was going to put this book down before I knew how everything was going to turn out. 

I recommend TRACK OF COURAGE to readers of Christian romantic suspense. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.