Review of Murder Down the Shore: A Jersey Shore Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

I love the Anne Hardaway mystery series. I'm not exactly sure why -- it's not really one of those 'cozy' small town mysteries, nor is it one that's filled with wacky, quirky characters whose antics amuse one no end. Indeed, some of the books in this series have been angst filled and rather stark and dour in tone. So why am I such a fan? As far as I can tell, I like this series mainly because of it's detecting heroine, Anne Hardaway. A struggling ghostwriter (in her late 30s, and a bit of a loner), trying hard to make ends meet and who still lives in the same house she grew up in, Anne is an entirely appealing character, that most readers are bound to find completely engaging. And the mysteries in this series have (so far) been rather compelling and interesting ones as well.

Things are finally beginning to look up for Anne. She's currently working on book of advice for pet owners, and the authour she's currently working with has (so far) turned out to be an absolute joy. And best of all, her relationship with Detective Mark Trasker is going rather well too. So why would Anne want to borrow trouble by deciding to host a family reunion? The death of her grandmother, Betty Hardaway, four months ago has left Anne with the need to reconnect with family. And so, Anne has decided to invite her wealthy Great-aunt Hannah (from her mother's side of the family), along with the cousins she grew up with -- Henry (Great-aunt Hannah's son), Cece, Nora (Anne's favourite cousin), Alex and Millie. In her mind, it seems like a good idea: the family would be reunited again, there'd be lots of fun and laughter, with the sun and beach of Ocean Heights as the backdrop to the whole event. The reality however includes Great-aunt Hannah's new 'boyfriend' whose supercilious behaviour manages to make everyone's teeth grate, and the unpleasant fact that Hannah and her son are not speaking to one another. Things take an especially nasty turn however when Hannah is found stabbed to death on the beach, and the murder weapon turns out to be one of Anne's knives! Because of Trasker's relationship with Anne, he recuses himself from the case, which turns out to be a really bad thing for Anne. Because the detective in charge of the case happens to be small minded bully who is only all too willing to believe that Anne killed Hannah for the money she was to have inherited from her. With her freedom on the line, Anne has no choice but to start looking into Hannah's life as well as those of her cousins'as she tries to figure who set up to take the blame for Hannah's murder. What Anne discovers will both sadden and chill as she tries to figure out which one of her relatives murdered Hannah.

The mystery unfolded at a brisk, swift and smooth pace, and there were enough false trails and red herring suspects to keep most mystery addicts happily glued to the pages. My only compliant was that I wished the novel had been a longer one, so that there could have been even more plot exposition and so that certain characters could have been even more developed. Other than that "Murder Down the Shore" was a really fun read.

Product Description
It seemed like a good idea at the time to Anne Hardaway: a jolly family reunion in the sun and sand of Oceanside Heights on the Jersey Shore. But it turns out to be the last gathering of any kind for wealthy Great-aunt Hannah, who is discovered on the beach viciously stabbed to death...by a knife taken from Anne's own kitchen!

With a $50 million inheritance at stake, any one of her kin could be the culprit, but it's Anne whom the evidence accuses. A killer isn't satisfied yet, however. As the professional ghostwriter/amateur sleuth intensifies her hunt for the blood relative with a taste for blood, Anne realizes her options are growing frighteningly limited. She can spend the rest of her life in prison...or lose it right now!

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Review of Death in December (Paperback)

Once I started, I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed the characters and the many references to our Catholic faith. I was surprized by the "villian", which doesn't happen very often.

Product Description
Emily Sinclair is a happily married school principal who begins to get curious about the death of church member, Donna. As Emily looks into the Donna's life, she discovers that many people had reason to want her dead. In fact, her death must have been on many people's Christmas wish list.

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Review of Out of Time: A Casey Jones Mystery (Casey Jones Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Since recently discovering this series, I have systematically worked my way through almost all of them, and love every single word of them.

Casey Jones is a big gal, which comes in handy in her line of work.Casey's a Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, PI -- unlicensed thanks to a long-ago brush with the law.In this story, Casey is hired by the no-nonsense matriarch of a no-nonsense family to try and save her granddaughter, Gail Honeycutt Taylor, from her impending date with the executioner.Gail is on Death Row for the murder of her police officer husband, and it had never occurred to Casey before to question her guilt.The more she digs into the case, however, the more she becomes convinced that Gail didn't do it.It doesn't help matters that Gail is almost suicidally apathetic and won't lift a finger to help herself.Casey's unorthodox recources and colorful associates make for a devilishly delicious story as she battles cops and bad guys -- and sometimes can't tell the difference -- while Gail's time is rapidly running out.

Casey Jones is a true-blue Southern belle, as is her creator, Katy Munger.She can come join my group of same any time!This book with its quick wit, sparkling dialogue, and stylish plot is not to be missed.In truth, the whole series is divine and I am just dying for the next one.

Product Description
Meet Casey Jones--an unlicensed, no-nonsense private detective who hides 160 pounds of muscle with an in-your-face femme fatale style. She's bold, she's bad and, most of all, she's nobody's fool. Underneath her wise-cracking, 100% Southern exterior, there beats a 14-karat heart with a definite spot for life's losers. With the brains to take on any challenge and the guts to impose her own brand of justice, Casey Jones has what it takes to be your best friend--or your very worst enemy.

This time around, Casey takes on a case that batters her once-sturdy body and threatens to expose her closest held secret. When her investigation into the case of a woman on death row sets her at odds with her hometown police force, Casey quickly learns that true blue friends aren't necessarily clad in blue. One by one, bodies begin to fall, while Casey holds her ground. She must race to uncover the truth before more people die--and before she takes the rap for their murders. With the help of an unlikely pair of bloodhounds and even more unlikely pair of bloodhounds and even more unlikely allies, Casey battles back to reclaim her client's life and her own, and to set a trap for a very clever killer. . .before time runs out.

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