August Reads: 45. Just Murdered ( A Dead-End Job Mystery) by Elaine Viets

I figured while I'm still on a roll and fresh from reading the book, might as well write about it.

Book 4 of the Dead end job mysteries.

The latest dead end job Helen has is working in a bridal shop. You would imagine it would be full of smiles and joy but not in Fort Lauderdale. The bridal shop is set to tailor the wedding of the daughter one of the biggest names in the city. The mother is cold manipulative woman who could care less about her daughter, a mousy girl who has secrets of her own. So when Kiki, the mother is found dead on the wedding day, suffocated by the bride's wedding gown. Helen has the hard job of narrowing down the suspects of people who all have motive of killing Kiki. From her ex-husband who she was milking money from with all the wedding expenses, to the boy-toy chauffeur who she was supposed to leave a million on her will, to the daughter, the actor son-in-all, all the way to the theater people she endorses. When Helen's fingerprints are found in the wedding dress, she has to hurry and clear her name before the police figure out her secret as well as deal with Phil's country singer soon-to-be-ex wife who is staying at Phil's place.

I did enjoy this book and I loved the part when Helen was feeling overwhelmed by all the selfishness that goes on in the people that go to the braidal shop and one customer came in and completely turned everything around. I think the mystery was quite solid with a whole garden of evil kind of theme. It was sad and tragic and ironic all at the same time. Phil... man stupid move... never ever surprise a girlfriend like that. Brings back the whole Ross-Rachel episode for me. The only thing for me here is that the story of Helen's past is becomming so repetitive to me. Also, the romance between Phil and Helen seemed to just sprung out of nowhere, where now both parties are declaring love to each other, leaving me feeling like I missed a book or something. I'm sensing I'm close to brink with the series and might need to take a hiatus. B

Reading next: Murder Unleashed

July Reads Part 2

Here's the continuation of my July reads

48. Gunpowder Green (Tea Shop Mysteries) by Laura Childs

Book 2 of the Tea Shop Mysteries

Book 1 Death by Darjeering introduces us to our heroine Theodosia Browning and her staff in the Indigo Tea Cafe in the city of Charleston. Book 2 takes us the the annual boat race of the Yatch Club, a big awaited event in the whole town. Serving as caterers to the event. The idyllic day turns into tragedy when the antique gun used to announce the winner explodes killing one of the prominent men in the city.

Despite people saying it was an accident, Theodosia have a feeling that there was mroe than meets the eye, that the gun might have been rigged to explode!! So with her sidekicks and fellow tea shop employees, Theodosia sets out to solve this mystery.

First off, I adore the covers of her books. There were more recipes here than the previous book. Hmm I really should give these a try. I felt that this second book from childs was more solid than the first one in my opinion, although I kind of knew . But she mentions the killer in the first book so if you haven't read the first book don't read this before. Mystery was kind of predictable to me didn't really have an I knew it! moment but the tea descriptions were very nice and I liked how she is starting to write more of the characters.  B

 

47. Killer Heels (Molly Forrester Mysteries) by Sheryl J Andersen

Book 1 of the Molly Forrester Mysteries

Molly Forrester was just showing one of her best friends this ugly picture in her office when she discovers the dead body of her colleague, Teddy. Wanting to write more hard hitting news than her advice column in her magazine, she sets out to solve the mystery of Teddy's death and sell it to a serious magazine.

As Molly delves more and more into the life of Teddy along with galpals Cassady and Tricia, she discovers that there was way more to Teddy than what she hears in the office. And she keeps wanting the cute homicide cop suspecting her of the murder.

I didn't really plan on reading this book this soon, but someone wanted it so I had to read it before I sent it :) I found myself liking the book and wanting to read the next in the series. The detective doesn't really have any redeeming qualities that stand out so much so we'll see. I love Molly and her friends though. Most people would really feel the "Sex and the City" plus murder in the narrative and the interaction of the characters actually. I've mooched the 2nd book now so let's see how that goes. B

 

46. Curiosity Killed the Cat-Sitter (Dixie Hemingway Mystery) by Blaze Clement

Book 1 of the Dixie Hemingway, Petsitter Mysteries.

Dixie used to work as a deputy before her husband and little girl were hit in a car accident and she was let go from the department  when she went a little crazy. Now she works as a pet-sitter taking care of pets whose owners are away or not able to take their pet for a run.

One morning while she was visiting the house of a woman and her cat, she finds a body with his head taped to Ghost, the cat's water bowl. Turns out that this man is from one of the prominent families in the state and when she find the woman's body after a few days, Dixie is becoming under suspicion herself. Maybe it's the cop in her or her need to find out the truth about her client, but Dixie starts her own investigation to find the murderer.

It didn't really say how she was fired though but you can feel the overwhelming grief and pain from the character even a few years after the event. I imagine this kind of pain would be something that you can't really get over. There's an underlying sadness in the whole book actually that it read very melancholic to me, with her tragedy and the other people around her. I like the supporting characters though, the brother and his partner. The animals and their owners. I kind of knew who was the murderer in the first few chapters so  it did not really come out as a surprise when it was revealed( more liek what took you so long). I hope the mystery is better in the next book. I did like the book though and would still read the next one. B

 

Currently Reading : Just Murdered : A Dead-end Job mystery by Elain Viets

July Reads Part 1

I'm going nowhere with my one book comment so I think I'll combine it per month. I would blog per book when i have the time again :) July is still mostly cozy myteries for me so I think I will be in that genre for awhile, or unless I run out of books in that genre :)

53. The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister

Fifth in MacAlister's Dark Ones Series.

Physicist, Portia Harding does not believe in anything that can not be explained through science and logic but then she accidentally summons a virtue and acquires the power of the weather. But first, she must take a test of to become a virtue to keep her new powers. She meets Theo North, a nephilim (half angel half human) who need her to get into "Heaven" . Everything is in topsy turvy with all the test taking and trying to escae a murder charge. 

I admit that this is the second time I attempted to read this book, the first 2-3 chapters of the book I keep wanting to put it down because Portia just iritated me. She sounded like one of those people who were so illogical with disbelief even if it's right in front of their eyes. Only after she started believing did it get interesting. In the end I did enjoy the book and some scenes were pretty funny too. But because of the beginning woudl just give this a C+

52. A Wedding to Die For: A Yellow Rose Mystery by Leann Sweeney

2nd in the Yellow Rose Mystery.

Becuase of the events that happened in book one, Abby is now practicing as a PI specializing on reuniting birth parents and their children. Her latest client is just getting married and asks Abby to look for her birth mother which she does not want her foster parents to find out.

During the wedding reception, someone kills the father-of-the-bride. And as Abby continues to search for Abby's birth mother( going all the way to Jamaica), she uncovers secrets and scandals she wasn't sure her client would want to know. With the sheriff, her boyfriend's jealous ex suspecting and even stonewalling her, she has to get to the bottom of this mystery before more people get killed, including her.

I thought it was a great second book and can't wait to read more adventure of Abby. I admit I really didn't know who the murderer was until the end so that was fun. B+

51. Shop TIl You Drop (Dead-End Job Mysteries) by Elaine Viets

Book 1 in the Dead End Job Mysteries

Helen Hawthorne is on the run from her two-timing ex-husband and ends up living in Fort Lauderdale South Florida. Who wants to pay half their income to their moocher of an ex-husband who she caught cheating on her with their next door neighbor. She smashes her ex-husband's prize car windows, with him naked still inside. This would come to haunt her when due to a bad lawyer, chauvanist judge and the lies of her ex's girlfriends, she ended up having to pay alimony.

Becuase of this circumstance, Helen has no choice but to work in these so-called Dead-end jobs in order to support herself and fly under the radar. This time she is working in a high-end clothing shop where she discovers her manages to be selling drugs as well as hiding many secrets of her own. When she ends, up dead. Helen must find out who murdered her to get the cop gunning for her off her back.

I heard great reviews from Elaine Viets in the Cozy ml so I was lucky enough to mooch some of her books. I actually read the 3rd book before I read this one but I still enjoyed reading this book. The mystery was at a nice pace with the introduction of the supporting characters rounding out a promise of a good series. B+

50. Dying To Call You (Dead-End Job Mysteries) by Elaine Viets

Book 3 of the Dead End Job Mysteries

Helen Hawthorne has found the dead end job of dead end jobs, telemarketing. Ok, maybe it's just me but being solicited ont he phone much less being the one who is soliciting is one of the worst jobs I can imagine, especially if you need to make a quota, which you always do.

Anyway, while making one of her calls, Helen is sure that she heard a murder taking place so notifies the police who in turn comes up with nothing. Helen sets out to prove that she really did hear a murder and gets involved in the the world of the rich and the bizarre.

This is the first book I've read of her Dead-End Job Mysteries, becuase I mistook this one as her first actually so I was a little spoiled in the identity of Phil the pothead  neighbor but at the same time it didn't really tell so much of the detail of the previous books except in passing which in turn helped me enjoy the first book too. The sister was a little over the top for me but the side stories like apartment 2C made the story even more interesting. I enjoyed this one too! Will try to get ahold of the rest of her series. B+

49. Dying In Style:: Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper by Elaine Viets

Book 1 of the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mysteries

Josie Marcus' job is a mystery shopper. It's not actually glamorous as most people believe but it gives her the flexibility time to spend with her daughter. But it does amount to endless complaints of her mother of not getting a proper job.

One of her jobs is the exclusive store of local hero Danessa Celedine. Her designs were even worn by celebrities and she is now in talks of selling her shops for a lot of money. Thsi is where Josie and her company comes in. Assigned to check out the Danessa shops, Josie finds out to her horror that each shop was worse from the previous and gives a negative review. Incensed about the loss of a 50 million dollar contract. Danessa confronts Josie and threatens to sue with Josie standing her ground and fighting back.

Danessa is later found dead strangled with the snakeskin belt with Josie's fingerprints all over it. Danessa's live-in Russian lover was also killed on the same day leaving no other suspect but Josie. Josie has to clear her name before they can accuse her of the crime and lose her daughter in turn.

This is my first book from author Elaine Viets, an I found myself liking her writing. She does have a thing for writing her mothers being very old fashioned and judgemental of their daughter. I found myself liking and disliking her mother here, but I love the daughter. Her writing here is more gritty and based on reality though, a little touch of sadness too, imho. I think I like her Dead-end job msyteries more but would continue reading this series to see how she developes her characters.  B

June Reads

Here are some of the books I've read the past month in addition to the previous list. I would eventually (fingers crossed) get reviews on them out

54. The Sisters Grimm IV : Once Upon A Crime by Michael Buckley rating:B
55. Blue Blood: A Debutante Dropout Mystery (Debutante Dropout Mysteries 1 ) by Susan McBride rating: C+
56. Killer Hair: A Crime of Fashion (Crime of Fashion Mysteries) rating: A
57. Death By Darjeering ( Tea Shop Mysteries #1) by Laura Childs rating: B+
58. A Charmed Death (Bewitching Series #2) by Madelyn Alt rating: B+
59.Hex Marks The Spot (Bewitching Series #3) by Madelyn Alt rating: B+
60. Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson 3) by Patricia Briggs rating: B
61. Blood Noir (Anita Blake 16) by Laurell K Hamilton rating: C-
62. Beyond A Highland Mist (Highland Series 1) by Karen Marie Moning rating: C+
63: Second Sight by Amanda Quick rating: B+
64: Mistletoe Murder (Lucy Stone Mysteries #1) by Leslie Meier rating: B
65: Dance Upon the Air (Sisters Island Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts rating: B+
66: Heaven and Earth (Sisters Island Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts rating: B-

94. Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa.

Book 3 of the Children of the Red King Series is Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa (UK)Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy(US). I had to confirm that both books were the same before I could mooch them. Who knew that the title would be very different.

As I mentioned earlier, the parallels to Harry Potter is still bothering me, Charlie now has a wand and there's a snake in this one too that is loose int he academy, CoS anyone.

Anyway, this book is about Charlie and Emma finding an invisible boy, except his toe. They find out that the Bloors are hiding him, and the reasson didn't really make that much sense to me. There's a snake loose in the school that turns people invisible once it has coiled around you. With the boy's brother's help, the keeps hatches a plot to rescue him. But there's a new girl in town named Belle, a too beautiful mysterious girl that seems to get along really well with the Yewbeam sisters,warning bells everyone. And Uncle Paton disappears and comes back changed and full of hopelessness.

I liked book three better than book 2 by judge a little bit but could still need a bit more work. The thing I noticed with the series is that the characters aren't as well developed as I would hope it would be and the fluidity of the story is just not very smooth. Characters pop in and pop out and the confrontations end up too easy, in my opinion. I am starting to feel a little symphaty for Billy but he is still a contradiction to me. Also, they defeat their adversaries far too easily in my opinion which makes the ending kind of anticlimactic for me. I already have books 4-6 courtesy of my very very nice bookmooch buddy chris so I'll give them a go.

Rating C

95. Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

I was lucky enough to find the rest of the series on bookmooch and so I was able to continue reading Jenny Nimmo's Children of the Red King Series.

Second to the series is Charlie Bone and the Time Twister. Henry Yewbeam, Charlie's great great grandfather, mysteriously disappeared one night and we find out that he was tricked into using a time twister and was transported into the future to Charlie Bone's time. Amidst problems with his friends and avoiding a plot of his aunts to trick him to enter the painting of an evil sorceror named Skarpo, Charlie is having a hard time trying to hide Henry from Ezekiel Bloom ( the cousin who tricked Henry) and his spies, including BIlly Raven.

Honestly, book 2 was a bit of a letdown for me. At first I liked Henry but I really couldn't sympathize with his character when he was transported to Charlie's time. He just started to annoy me, and his actions that led to his capture was just plain foolish thinking. I can imagine being lost in time should be a bit daunting but he never listens. We also find out that Cook has a big role to play in the story too. And Uncle Paton is solid as a rock amidst bursting bulbs :) . I would probably read the next book hoping it's better than this o ne.

Rating C

96. Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

I found this book at the public library and the cover made me pick it up (the US cover looks more mysterious actually). I was to later find out that it was the first book of the "Children of the Red King Series" The book starts of with the hero named Charlie Bone who lives with his mom, and 2 grandmothers, the nice one and the not so nice one, Grandma Bone. and his Uncle Paton, sister to Grandma Bone, who has 2 evil sisters too. We also find out that hsi father is presumed dead. Charlie discovers that he can go into pictures. And when this power came about, the evil Bone sisters sent him to Bloors Academy and here is where Charlie's past, present and future will unfold. I can't help comparing this book to the Harry Potter series which is unfair but there were similarities here that just made me think of HP, not to say that all basis of magical school-boy is HP mind you. The characters were pretty entertaining and it did kind of left me wanting to read teh rest of the series. All in all not a bad read. Rating B.

The rest of the series will follow