Peril at the End House by Agatha Christie

Peril at the End House by Agatha Christie ISBN-13: 9780007119301 Paperback: 287 pages Publisher: HarperCollins Released: 1932; 2001

Source: Borrowed from the local library.

Book Description from Amazon:
A young woman who has recently survived a series of very close calls appears to be the target of a dedicated killer—and it’s up to Hercule Poirot to save her life.


My Review:
Peril at the End House is a historical mystery set in 1932 in England (though it was a contemporary mystery when it was written). There were plenty of clues, and it was a clue-based mystery. I fairly quickly caught on to whodunit and even why and how--which is unusual for a Poirot novel. All the clues were there (unlike some Poirot novels where a hidden clue is pulled out at the last moment). There were other strong possibilities, so I don't think the answer was obvious, but I was surprised to get it so completely right for once.

There was no sex and no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy puzzle-mysteries and Christie fans.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Shear Trouble by Elizabeth Craig

Shear Trouble by Elizabeth Craig ISBN-13: 9780451469502 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Obsidian Mystery Released: August 5, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from the Back Cover:
The Village Quilters of Dappled Hills, North Carolina, are desperate to finish their quilts before an upcoming show. To help, fellow member Posy has opened the back room of her shop, the Patchwork Cottage, for everyone to use. But the ladies are less than thrilled when Phyllis Stitt and Martha Helmsley—members of their rival quilting guild, the Cut-Ups—ask to join them.

Phyllis is hoping to leave the Cut-Ups and join up with the Village Quilters now that Martha’s dating her ex-fiancé, Jason Gore. She’s not pleased when he visits the shop and even more upset when her new shears disappear. After offering to search for them, Beatrice discovers Jason with the shears buried in his unfaithful heart. Now she must sharpen her sleuthing skills to find a killer before someone else’s life is cut short.…


My Review:
Shear Trouble is a cozy mystery. It's the fourth in a series. You don't need to have read the previous novels to understand this one, and the previous whodunits aren't spoiled in this novel.

The main characters were interesting and nice enough, but I had some problems with the mystery. The clues were basically from the heroine asking good questions and getting answers. We're told that a certain person was in the shop, yet later that person was never in the shop. This was a writing mistake, not a character lying (as far as I can tell--pages 216 and 250). I felt like I couldn't trust the clues.

Next, our heroine tells the detective everything she discovers...until she learns that a critical phone call was placed at a certain location. This could be the big break if the detective discovers who the call was made to! But the heroine decides to stay quiet and hope that the very shy gal will change her mind and go tell the police about this major lead. Which she doesn't.

At the end, the heroine has just figured out whodunit when of course whodunit arrives at her house. The heroine is scared whodunit will kill her, yet she lets whodunit inside and asks unnecessary questions that make it clear she knows whodunit is involved in the murder. Er, duh, bad idea. And the heroine has two dogs that are growling at whodunit as they know whodunit is a danger, yet whodunit opens the house door and...the dogs dash outside so they can growl at whodunit from the other side of the door? Huh?

There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Farley Moran

Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Farley Moran ISBN-13: 9780425270288 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: August 5, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Read ’Em and Eat is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch treats, along with quite a colorful clientele. If it’s not Rowena Gustavson loudly debating the merits of the current book club selection, it’s Miss Augusta Maddox lecturing tourists on rumors of sunken treasure among the islands. It’s no wonder Sassy’s favorite is Delia Batson, who is painfully shy—which makes the news of her murder all the more shocking.

No one is more distraught than Augusta, Delia's relative and best friend. Sassy wants to help any way she can...but Augusta wants her to find Delia’s killer!


My Review:
Well Read, Then Dead is a cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and varied. The heroine avoids conflict and is always trying to soothe over or divert any conflicts. Yet midway through the story, she decides that she needs to go confront a man who scares her, has threatened her, and that she's certain is a murderer...and she's going to do this by herself! Huh? She simply takes the guy's word for it that he's not a murderer. When she tells the police about his alibi, she finds out that the police already knew about it.

Skip ahead to nearly the end. It's a fairly straight forward mystery, and there have been enough clues that I know whodunit. The heroine is still trying to figure it out. She gets a note to met an anonymous person to get more information. She thinks about how she'd be yelling, "No! Don't go" if this was a horror movie, but she still doesn't think this is dangerous. She goes alone, only leaving a message about her whereabouts on the phone of someone who is currently having phone problems. Yeah. You know what happens. Only she doesn't know who tried to kill her. She only succeeds in discovering whodunit by yet again nearly getting killed. Good thing the police arrive in time to save the day!

And, of course, the boyfriend realizes she's making dangerous, foolish decisions in how she's investigating the murder and asks her to stop--and she gets in a huff about him trying to tell her what to do! These poor cozy mystery boyfriends--would the heroines really prefer a fellow who doesn't care if they get themselves killed? Sorry, this novel just hit too many of my pet peeves.

There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Cat, the Vagabond, and the Victim by Leann Sweeney

The Cat, the Vagabond, and the Victim by Leann Sweeney ISBN-13: 9780451415424 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Obsidian Mystery Released: August 5, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
When Clyde the cat travels two hundred miles back home only to find his former owner dead, the story makes national news. While everyone seems eager to tell Clyde’s incredible tale, someone needs to step up to care for him. Because the media attention is creating chaos at the local shelter, cat quilter Jillian Hart agrees to foster the loyal orange tabby, hoping his location is kept secret.

But while the media circus around Clyde continues, Jillian learns the real story behind his owner’s death—he was murdered. Why would an eldery man already dying from a serious illness become a murder victim? As the local police search for an answer, Clyde makes another escape. Jillian is drawn into the case when she finds Clyde has returned to his home again—and he’s found another body...


My Review:
The Cat, the Vagabond, and the Victim is a cozy mystery. It's the sixth in a series. You don't need to have read the previous novels to understand this one, and the previous whodunits aren't spoiled in this novel.

The mystery was a clue-based mystery, and I was able to get a good idea of whodunit and why from those clues. However, one aspect of whodunit was a surprise as the author very successfully managed to misdirect my attention. Well done! The cats were fun (and acted liked cats), and the characters were varied and interesting. The heroine was a nice person who was considerate of others and tried to help others. I liked her.

There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano

Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano ISBN-13: 9781434707017 ebook: 320 pages Publisher: David C. Cook Released: June 10, 2013

Source: A free ebook offer on Christianbook.com.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she'll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried.

For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell. Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives-and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.


My Review:
Five Days in Skye is a Christian romance novel. The beautiful cover and an interest to "see" Skye tempted me into giving the book a chance. We do get a tour of the isle along with Andrea, but the characters and their struggles also pulled me deeply into the story. Both Andrea and James have made poor decisions in love in the past and have deep wounds from betrayal. They haven't really dealt with these wounds and don't intend to...until they meet each other. The story is more about healing broken relationships and past hurts than "romance," though they are physically attracted and enjoy kissing.

I liked that they both realized that physical attraction to one another is nice but not the same as love. So many romance novels promote the idea that if "sparks fly" when the characters kiss then it must be true love. I also liked that they realized they needed to deal with past hurts if this relationship had any chance rather than acting like a new relationship would somehow "patch over" the past so they wouldn't have to face it. Basically, the characters came across as real people.

The Christian element felt realistic and was part of the natural flow of the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this refreshing story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.