Revenge of Odessa by Frederick Forsyth with Tony Kent

 

The storyline is eye catching. Fifty years after revealing the secrets of Odessa Peter is now retired from his journalistic beat for the safety of his grandson. Georg however is no shrinking Violet and follows his grandfather in the dangerous hunt. Odessa is alive and well just under another name and playing a waiting game.

The premise was good but the story falls flat and was disappointing particularly when it carries the Forsyth name.

Sent by Random House UK Transworld Publishers.

A Deadly Clue by Victoria Albert

 

Cameron Clewe and Jane Hunter are not just employer and employees. Jane works curating Cam’s vast library but they have also worked on suspicious death cases before.  Involving the powerful Stewart family, an encounter with one of the family whilst collecting a parcel of books, Jane comes across an odd note which could be linked to the high profile suicide of Kimberley Stewart. When and before Cam and Jane even begin working on their suspicions, another death happens. This too is certified as a death by an overdose and seems too convenient to be acceptable.

Working with very little information, and against a very powerful family who has no compunction in threats of every kind Cam and Jane are determined to get to the truth, especially after a third death occurs. Alongside the murder investigation, is also the puzzling mystery and whereabouts of Cam’s father now missing for years and with a backdrop of estrangement from his family. Maybe we would hear more of this intriguing backstory in another episode.

A fairly convoluted investigation, but an interesting one.

Sent by Crooked Lane Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder Hi Jinks and the Peridot Cufflinks by Lynn Rankin-Esquer

 

Izzy is part of a team with her sister in an organisation co-op. A business that helps people clear, declutter and organise their living space so that they can think clearly and live basically organised lives. Izzy is also psychic and though she tries to close her mind to warnings, she is sometimes caught quite unaware in some homes she helps to clear, much to the dismay of her very focused sister.

The latest happening is bizarre when she gets signals for a man who was murdered, and though all the obvious signs is his gold digger wife, it is actually not so. The police assigned to the case know about her abilities and though one of them is skeptical (at the beginning only) the other knows from personal experience not to take Izzy’s forecasts lightly. The story unravels with many side issues, another murder and more insights. The biggest danger is that the murder weapon had Izzy’s fingerprints on them, and though the reasoning behind it is quite plausible (she was part of the cleaning crew of the murder victims household), her involvement cannot be ignored.

There is a nice balance of murder and humour including all the characters involved, which added interesting to the story.

Sent by Xandl Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly

 

I seem to be reading mystery/murder stories across the years from the very modern to much earlier times and every year in between.

This one with a Regency theme sees our Austen characters in a clever who dun it. It’s the festive season and Emma faces a very surprising announcement. Her father widowed (and rather grumpy) has announced his intention to marry the excitable Miss Bates. Emma has to hand over the reigns of running the household to another lady. Something she finds hard to do and move to Donwell Abbey neglected and run down and make it a comfortable home.

A splendid party is somewhat marred by the sudden death of a maid Prudence and then the rumours begin to fly. Emma’s enquiries unearths several unsettling claims which are whispered about in the locality, ending with the arrest of Mr Larkins, Emma’s steward and one whom she and her husband George trust implicitly. The feelings of the locals and the judge are against Mr Larkins who is of Irish descent (not very popular amongst the English villagers). Emma and George have their hands full when they unearth a smuggling ring, involving villagers, servants of the Abbey and a gang of ruthless men determined to see the hapless Mr Larkins hang.

A very interesting mystery murder cozy set in very English surroundings of a different age.

Sent by Kensington Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan

 

George Cross is an excellent detective, I would venture to say borderline on the spectrum, brilliant but difficult to understand and work with. Not a team player, not sharing insights or whatever he thinks should be done next, he however uses logic and a sense of going forward in a way he sees as obvious but is difficult to understand to those who have to work with him.

Discovering a body, finding clues, going into the family history and slowly connecting the dots is this mystery. It is also a lot about the persona of DS George Cross. Makes for a very interesting read as it brings in another aspect to usual mystery novels.

I am looking forward to the rest of the books by this author.

Sent by Grove Atlantic for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Ruffler’s Child by John Pilkington

 

Thomas is a skilled falconer held in high esteem by his employers the Lord Robert and Lady Margaret. Everything is very serene in the Berkshire Downs till the discovery of the Lady Margaret’s ne’er do well brother. Known for his underhand dealings and the nefarious company he keeps, nevertheless his death has to be followed up.

Travelling to London looking for more falcons for Lord Robert, Thomas sees that things are not what they seem and a tangle of long hidden secrets and blackmail can bring Lady Margaret’s world crashing down.

The story has many twists and turns and Thomas’s detective skills are second to none at uncovering the suspects and the plot, as well as protecting his mistress.

Set in an Elizabethan era with plenty of history woven in this was very good reading.

Sent by Boldwood Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder Made Her Wicked by Elizabeth Hobbs

 

1894 and Marigolds finds herself penniless and wondering what to do. The acceptance and publication of her novel brings her the money necessary to pursue academia and she finds herself back in the college she loves, doing what matters most to her. Before long she gets embroiled in a murder, discovering the body of a student. Identifying who the victim is becomes quite complicated, and declaring it a murder is too because the authorities would like to classify it as accidental, rather than intentional.

Marigolds uses the talents of her fellow students to analyse whatever information is available to them to find the murderer before he strikes again. 

Very much a Victorian era setting, Marigolds has to work within the constraints and expectations of the time. This adds interest to the story. It also highlights the difficulties faced by women who sought an education and a career without settling only for marriage.

Sent by Crooked Lane Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.