56: A Rare Book of Cunning Device – Ben Aaronovitch
A short story set in the Rivers of London Universe, where Peter Grant is assigned a task to investigate at the British Library. Each story expands the universe a little, and it’s fun to see what goes on between the main events of the novels
57: The Secret Detective Agency – Helena Dixon (ARC)
A new series from the author of the Miss Underhay cosy historical mystery series.
This new series follows Miss Jane Treen who works for the War Office, working to uncover the mystery of why agents are going missing. When a body is found out in the countryside, Miss Treen heads off to investigate.
Full review to follow, novel to be published March 27th
58: False Value – Ben Aaronovitch
First published in 2020, I first read this when it came out. Aaronovitch is one of my must-read authors, and I always pre-order his novels. And after reading it, I didn’t get it. I’d been so immersed in the previous books, but with some big storylines resolved in Lies Sleeping, False Value felt quite jarring. With narrative timelines being shuffled, I felt really wrong-footed, and it took a while to really get into. The second read was when everything started to sit better, and reading it again last week, it all felt horribly prescient, with the main storyline being that of a sinister tech-bro building an AI, and on a quest for power. Definitely worth the re-read, and the hardback copy cover still glows in the dark after nearly 5 years.
59: Amongst Our Weapons – Ben Aaronovitch
Like Terry Pratchett’s Soul Music, this novel feels like the punchline was written first then the rest of the book was built around it. It’s a good punchline though, and the book is an enjoyable read. Once again, Peter Grant gets to leave London briefly – after all, it’s not fair that they get ALL the chaos that usually follows him. Heading north to Manchester, we get to learn more about DCI Seawoll. First seen in the opening novel of the Rivers of London series, subsequent books have peeled back layers of the gruff no-nonsense Northerner, who’s had to put up with far too much nonsense since the Folly became more active.
60, 61, 62: A Murder at the Morrisey series – Eryn Scott
A Body in 3B
A Secret Staircase
A Poisoned Package
The perfect cosy mystery series for fans of Only Murders in the Building, with a little supernatural twist. Moving into her aunt’s Seattle apartment after her life in New York fell apart, failed artist Meg Dawson is trying to rebuild her life. Always seen as “different”, she can’t tell people that her best friend is a ghost, and she can talk to spirits. Ripley has been tied to Meg since she and Meg’s parents were killed in the same car accident. When a reclusive resident of the same apartment block is found dead, and another ghost appears haunting the corridors of the the block, Meg and Ripley work to solve the mysteries of the Morrisey apartment building.
In the second book, a trip down to the basement leads to the discovery of the bones of a 1920s flapper, along with the body of a popular current influencer, and once again, Meg and Ripley are back on the case, believing the two sets of remains are linked uncovering secrets of the past and a investigating a long running feud between two prominent Seattle families.
In the 3rd book, A Poisoned Package, the residents of the Morrisey are hit by a spate of parcel thefts, but when one resident is left in a coma after eating poisoned chocolate meant for another, Meg and Ripley find their investigations take them to the local theatre, haunted by very dramatic ghosts.
I’m really enjoying this series, mystery with a dash of romance and nostalgia for the 90s Seattle grunge scene, the perfect easy reading for my current mood.
63, 64, 65, 66: The Cleopatra Fox Mysteries – CJ Archer
Historical mystery series set in the late Victorian period, late 1899 onwards. After the death of her grandparents, Cleopatra Fox moves in with her estranged aunt and uncle in the Mayfair Hotel in London. Previously living in Cambridge and having access to lectures and education, Cleo is bored, and gets involved in solving murders and mysteries. Determined never to marry, and to be her own person, she struggles with the expectations of the life of a society debutante, preferring to get into scrapes and investigate misdeeds. When she inadvertently has the assistant hotel manager fired, he sets up his own private detective agency, and Cleo’s attempts to become a partner in the agency provide lighthearted moments. This is a well-narrated series and I’ve been enjoying Cleo’s adventures.
67: Death at the Village Chess Club – Debbie Young (ARC)
The second of the Alice Carroll series, the first saw Alice set up home in the Cotswolds and open a Curiosity Shop in a small village, following the breakdown of a long term relationship and the loss of her museum job.
This second sees Alice begrudgingly come to the aid of her ex, who is travelling around Europe and needs a cash injection. Asking Alice to to sell off some of his collection, Alice agrees, because selling a few chess sets can’t go too wrong, can it?
Except after a showcase chess event at the local school, a body is found in the car park, and chess pieces are missing. Alice has to uncover the wrongdoer before more people get hurt.
A wonderful cosy mystery, I love the development of Alice’s character, and the renewal of the relationship with her mother. It’s fun to see her settle into the village and juggle local politics. The characters are fun and quirky, and Debbie Young has created a fabulous community that we’re getting to know along with Alice. The writing keeps things moving at pace, and before you know it, you’ve finished the book in one sitting and have to wait for more!
Death at the Village Chess Club is out on March 3rd.
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