Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Mastering the Art of French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge

ISBN-13: 9781496739599
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Released: April 25th 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, who recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn’t just the City of Light; it’s the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbour and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who’s fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia’s studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha’s sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day, they return to Julia’s building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she’d met only the night before, at a party given by Julia’s sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too—a knife from Julia’s kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha’s handwriting, was found in the dead woman’s pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal?


My Review:
Mastering the Art of French Murder is a cozy mystery set in 1949 in Paris. While Tabitha had read many mysteries (from Nancy Drew to Sherlock Homes), her "inner sprite" seemed to be the main motivator of her actions. For example, she had the murdered woman's purse, which she was taking to the police detective. She decided to just ride her bicycle by the woman's apartment only to realize that wasn't enough. She used the keys to enter and snoop around the apartment, only later giving the detective the purse and the clues she found. She kept telling herself she wasn't investigating but couldn't stop asking questions and snooping around. She's nice enough and generally reasoned things out well. She seemed drawn to dangerous situations, but at least she's good at rescuing herself.

Some historical details about living in Paris at that time were woven into the story. The main characters were interesting. Julia was vivacious and gave Tabitha several (described) cooking lessons. Tabitha's grandpa was a part of the French resistance during WWII and currently lived with a younger man he worked with during the war. It's implied they're a romantic couple. They're charming with quirky pets and have interesting connections (from the war work) that they used to help Tabitha solve the murder. Whodunit was guessable, though Tabitha was shocked. She only solved it because she overheard a confession. Once she had that information, though, she was able to work out what was going on and the why behind the murder.

There was no sex. There was some 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.

Cinnamon Twisted by Ginger Bolton

Cinnamon Twisted
by Ginger Bolton

ISBN-13: 9781496740199
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Released: April 25th 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Deputy Donut Cafe owner Emily Westhill becomes one that will remain baked into her memory from the moment a customer gives Emily’s cat a toy donut and then flees Deputy Donut, dropping an earring in her panic. Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring. Only this time, the customer doesn’t have a pulse. Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope addressed to Emily at the murder scene. The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily’s house.

Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut? With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out. But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property.


My Review:
Cinnamon Twisted is a cozy mystery. You don't need to read the previous books in the series to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries. The characters were interesting and engaging. The mystery was clue-based. Emily witnessed some clues and asked questions to clarify what she's seen or where a suspect had been. She passed on information that she came across to her boyfriend detective and the state detective. Whodunit was guessable before the reveal, but Emily didn't fully sort out the clues needed to determine whodunit until nearly the end. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun 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.

Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson

Murder on Bedford Street
by Victoria Thompson

ISBN-13: 9780593337103
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: April 25, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Hugh Breedlove is far from the most agreeable client private investigator Frank Malloy has ever had, but his case is impossible to refuse: his young niece, Julia, has been wrongfully committed to an insane asylum by her cruel and unfaithful husband, Chet Longly. Though Breedlove and his wife seem more interested in protecting the family reputation than their niece’s safety, Frank and Sarah agree to help for the sake of Julia and the young son she left behind.

Frank and Sarah’s investigation reveals a secret—a nanny at the Longly home died suspiciously under Chet’s watch, and maid was shoved down the staircase and promptly dismissed. The Malloys fear they are dealing with a man more dangerous than they had anticipated, one who will do anything to defame his wife. But all is not as it seems in the Longly family, and perhaps another monster is hiding in plain sight....


My Review:
Murder on Bedford Street is a historical mystery set in New York City in 1900. But it's a "mystery" only because it's in a mystery series. It wasn't until a third of the way into the book that a murder was even uncovered, and even then it was pretty obvious whodunit. As Frank, Sarah, Gino, and Maeve investigated, people strongly hinted at and later outright accused whodunit of the murder. Near the end, there was another murder. By then, they knew whodunit but spent about one page trying to find any proof before giving up. So not much mystery.

At best, you could call this a suspense. The investigators stubbornly refused to change their initial assumptions in the face of ever-increasing clues, and you just knew whodunit was going to kill again. Only Maeve seemed open to the actual evidence, logic finally won Gino and Frank over, but Sarah didn't show well at all. I found the story frustrating. It could have been an interesting mystery as they worked the difficult task of actually proving whodunit (as knowing and proving are two different things). Instead, most of the book was watching supposedly smart characters be about the only ones who didn't understand whodunit.

This is the 26th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous mysteries. 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.

Texas Ranch Target by Virginia Vaughan

Texas Ranch Target
by Virginia Vaughan

ISBN-13: 9781335587718
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: April 25, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After his client is murdered, security expert Brett Harmon plans to lie low at his family’s ranch—until he comes across an injured woman in the road. With only Brett’s business card in her pocket and no memory of her attack, Jaycee Richmond turns to her rescuer for answers. But when their search reveals a deadly connection, can Brett protect her from a killer she can’t remember?


My Review:
Texas Ranch Target is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second in a series, but it works as a standalone. Brett felt guilty over losing a client, even though he did everything he could to protect her. They still don't know who shot her as the security systems were down. Jaycee was deceived into hacking into that system, thinking she was just testing a security system for weaknesses. Once she realized the results of her actions, she felt guilty and tracked down Brett to tell him what happened. Only, someone is trying to kill her, and she lost her memory during one attack.

Brett admired Jaycee's courage and skill and felt that knowing her without her memory actually demonstrated her core character in a way he could trust. He's determined not to lose another person in need of protection. He worked with Jacyee to uncover who hired her and who killed his client. An observant reader can figure out who's behind some of the attacks long before Brett and Jaycee do, though.

When Jaycee's memory came back, she remembered just how lonely she was. She wanted to get married to a man she hardly knew basically because she was tired of being lonely. I'd think Brett should have wanted to get to know her (especially with her memories intact) a bit before proposing rather than asking after only spending time with her for a few days. The suspense was created by repeated attacks on Jaycee. She came across as competent (especially with computers and when questioning people) until she left her gun behind when she knew she'd need it. She felt stupid about that, but why have her do it in the first place?

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


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.

The Rancher's Sanctuary by Linda Goodnight

The Rancher's Sanctuary
by Linda Goodnight

ISBN-13: 9781335585684
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired
Released: April 25, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Physically and emotionally scarred, reclusive cowgirl Monroe Matheson prefers rescue dogs over handsome men. But when Nathan Garrison arrives in town, determined to fix up the guest ranch next door, he needs all the help he can get. Before long, Monroe knows there’s more to this stranger than meets the eye. Can working with a man carrying tragic memories be the key to overcoming Monroe’s wounds—both inside and out?


My Review:
The Rancher's Sanctuary is a Christian romance. Monroe was a beauty queen. Now she has burns scarring part of her face from fighting a fire to save her fiancé (who then dumped her, the jerk). Figuring everyone would feel either pity or disgust, Monroe stayed on her grandpa's ranch taking care of rescue dogs. She also enjoys the solitude found on the long-abandoned, neighboring ranch.

Nathan intends to renovate the ranch back into a guest resort and working ranch. He also wants to uncover the truth about his parent's murder. Monroe's rude, sarcastic way of interacting didn't bother him because he knew it's her pain and defensiveness talking. As they spent time together, each came to admire the other's character, became friends, and then more. Each helped support and build the other up. They made a great team when working together.

The mystery served mostly as a reason for Monroe to spend time with Nathan and as a strong enough reason to motivate her back into society. The dogs had distinct personalities but weren't a major focus of the story. The Christian element was woven into the story, things like Nathan explained how Scripture helped him to focus on positive things rather than grow bitter. Monroe finally accepted that Nathan could really love her with her scars (like we don't love Jesus less because of his scars). There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.


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.

Who Cries for the Lost by C. S. Harris

Who Cries for the Lost
by C. S. Harris

ISBN-13: 9780593102725
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: April 18, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
June 1815. The people of London wait, breathlessly, for news as Napoleon and the forces united against him hurtle toward their final reckoning at Waterloo. Among them is Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, frustrated to find himself sidelined while recovering from a dangerous wound he recently received in Paris. When the mutilated corpse of Major Miles Sedgewick surfaces from the murky waters of the Thames, Sebastian is drawn into the investigation of a murder that threatens one of his oldest and dearest friends, Irish surgeon Paul Gibson.

Gibson’s lover, Alexi Sauvage, was tricked into a bigamous marriage with the victim. But there are other women who may have wanted the cruel, faithless Major dead. His mistress, his neglected wife, and their young governess who he seduced all make for compelling suspects. Even more interesting to Sebastian is one of Sedgewick’s fellow officers, a man who shared Sedgewick’s macabre interest in both old English folklore and the occult. And then there’s a valuable list of Londoners who once spied for Napoleon that Sedgewick was said to be transporting to Charles, Lord Jarvis, the Regent’s powerful cousin who also happens to be Sebastian’s own father-in-law.

The deeper Sebastian delves into Sedgewick’s life, the more he learns about the Major’s many secrets and the list of people who could have wanted him dead grows even longer. Soon others connected to Sedgewick begin to die strange, brutal deaths and more evidence emerges that links Alexi to the crimes. Certain that Gibson will be implicated alongside his lover, Sebastian finds himself in a desperate race against time to stop the killings and save his friends from the terror of the gallows.


My Review:
Who Cries for the Lost is a mystery set in 1815 in London. This book is the 18th in a series. You can understand it without having read the previous novels, and it didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries.

The historical information was woven into the story without slowing the pacing. It created a distinct feeling of that specific time and place and helped bring the story alive in my imagination. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways. Both Hero and Sebastian were involved in the investigation, though Sebastian was the main investigator. He tracked down leads and asked good questions. There were plenty of suspects. While the clues progressively narrowed things down, whodunit was not easily guessable.

There were no graphic sex scenes. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical 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.

The Unassuming Curator by Sian Ann Bessey

The Unassuming Curator
by Sian Ann Bessey

ISBN-13: 9781524423131
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: April 11, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Emily Norton loves nothing more than losing herself within the pages of a good book. But the solitary pastime is poor preparation for participating in the dreaded London Season. Her trepidation over formally entering Society is all-encompassing, until she stumbles upon an enigmatic gentleman digging up flowers in a hedgerow. Before she can learn his name or the reason for his unusual activity, however, she is whisked into a carriage bound for London.

Henry Buckland has a secret: he cannot discern the difference between certain colors. It’s a particularly difficult disability for the curator of natural history at the British Museum. At his parents’ dinner party, he discovers the intriguing young lady he met on the country lane. As Emily and Henry become formally acquainted, they discover a shared love of science and nature that makes them ideally suited. However, Henry is not alone in his admiration for the young woman. As the competition to woo Emily escalates, so, too, do tensions at the museum. When an unexpected danger threatens Henry’s livelihood―and life―it appears he may not have the chance to win Emily’s heart after all.


My Review:
The Unassuming Curator is a romance set in 1790 in England. Emily loves learning and reading. Henry doesn't really need an income but works as a natural history curator. With some nudges from a matchmaking relative, their shared interests (flowers and butterflies are discussed) bring them together. They became friends and more as they spent time together. They supported each other and built each other up. The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. Historical details about the museum and time period were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this very enjoyable romance.


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.