Mystery Book Review: A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins
A Flower Shop Mystery with Abby Knight

Signet (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-451-22241-5 (0451222415)
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-22241-1 (9780451222411)
Publication Date: December 2007
List Price: $6.99

Synopsis (from the publisher): Abby Knight is attending the Midwestern Funeral Directors Associations regional convention, where the associations intensely disliked chairperson is found dead in a locked casket, her signature rose missing from her hair. Abby's determined to find out who loved the victim—and who loved her not.

Review: Florist Abby Knight continues her amateur sleuthing in A Rose from the Dead, the 6th delightful mystery in this series by Kate Collins.

Never one to turn down an opportunity to drum up business for her flower shop, Abby agrees to share a booth at a local convention for funeral directors. When the organizer, Sybil Blount, a flamboyant and eminently dislikable woman who always wore her signature red rose, is murdered and found, appropriately enough, in a casket, the police suspect Abby's friend Delilah. Of course Abby finds this unacceptable, and with the help of Marco, her ex-cop, ex-Army Ranger boyfriend, she follows her "gut feeling" about who might have killed Sybil. But will her pointed questions help identify the murderer, or will she simply set herself up to be next?

Despite, or maybe in spite of, the venue of the story, Collins introduces a considerable amount of (sometimes dark) humor into A Rose from the Dead. An early scene where Abby walks into an upright casket painted to look like a telephone booth, and is promptly locked inside as a prank by the sons of a local businessman, is very humorous. Then there's Angelique, a harpist, owner of Music for the Soul, who is available to play music at a funeral written from the soul of the dead. There are several more eccentric characters, all of whom seem perfectly suited for this light-hearted mystery, who add a great deal of diverting pleasure for the reader.

Even with the fun and laughter there is still a murder to be solved and Abby with her "gut feeling" is up to the task. A Rose from the Dead is entertaining from start to finish.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Rose from the Dead and to Kate Collins for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Compendium of Mystery News 071203

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Here's an interesting blog post: TopRetirements.com writes about Judging a Retirement Town by Its Bookstore. Several mystery bookstores are mentioned and more than a few mystery authors offer up their opinions.

• Variety is reporting that digital studio Worldwide Biggies has acquired the movie and game rights to the Tom Swift adventure series. Not exactly mysteries in the Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew sense, the Tom Swift books were suspenseful in a MacGyver or Indiana Jones sense.

• Otto Penzler writes in his column on NYSun.com about Ira Levin and Norman Mailer, both of whom who died last month, and their contributions to the world of mystery and suspense.

• Tom Nolan in The Wall Street Journal reviews several new mysteries calling his article, A Season for Sleuthing.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for December 03, 2007

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

This week's letters and mystery clue: A C D H N O P S Y. Abby Shaw is featured in this mystery series by Sammi Carter (9 letters).

New! We now have our puzzles in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

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Mysteries on TV: Jesse Stone

Last night, CBS replayed the fourth made-for-television movie in the Jesse Stone series, Sea Change. These movies are undoubtedly some of the best adaptations of a mystery series ever filmed and though we'd seen it the first time in May, we couldn't help but watch it again. (It is not yet available on DVD.)

Tom Selleck doesn't just play the character of Jesse Stone in these movies, Tom Selleck becomes Jesse Stone. Robert B. Parker, the author of the Jesse Stone series of mystery novels, has said on his blog that, though the character in his books is much younger than that portrayed by Selleck, "Tom nails the character." Selleck was nominated for an Emmy this year for his portrayal of Jesse Stone in Sea Change.

The first three movies in the series, Stone Cold, Night Passage, and Death in Paradise are available individually on DVD or may be purchased together as the Jesse Stone Movie Collection. A fifth movie, Thin Ice, is currently in production and is the first not to be based on one of the books in the series.

For more information about the Jesse Stone books and movies, visit our Jesse Stone page on Squidoo. To purchase any the three available movies out on DVD, click on one of the links above or go to Mysteries on TV: Jesse Stone. (Note: Amazon.com periodically runs out of the complete collection, it is that popular. Third party sources may have it or the individual DVDs maybe purchased separately.)

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Kindle Mysteries: New Mystery Book Titles for December 2007

A list of over 20 new mystery books scheduled for publication in December 2007 and available for the Kindle, Amazon's wireless reading device, has been posted to the Kindle Mysteries website.

Notable titles include the second mystery in the Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman, Charm City. Winner of the 1998 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original and the 1998 Shamus Award for Best Original P. I. Paperback Novel, this mystery is now available for the first time in hardcover as well as on the Kindle. In Charm City, Tess investigates the murder of a business tycoon who was trying to bring professional basketball back to Baltimore.

Mystery books for the Kindle are generally priced between $3.99 and $9.99 and can be downloaded immediately.

Kindle Mysteries currently has a list of over 200 recently published mystery book titles available on our website with more added every week.

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Mystery Book Review: The First Wave by James R. Benn

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of The First Wave by James R. Benn. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

The First Wave by James R. Benn
A Billy Boyle Mystery

Soho Crime (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-56947-471-0 (1569474710)
ISBN-13: 978-1-56947-471-6 (9781569474716)
Publication Date: September 2007
List Price: $24.00

Synopsis (from the publisher): Lt. Billy Boyle reluctantly accompanies Major Samuel Harding, his boss, in the first boat to land on the shores of Algeria during the Allied invasion. Their task is to arrange the surrender of the Vichy French forces. But there is dissension between the regular army, the local militia and DeGaulle’s Free French. American black marketeers in league with the enemy divert medical supplies to the Casbah, leading to multiple murders that Billy must solve while trying to rescue the girl he loves, a captured British spy.

Review: Billy Boyle lands on the shores of Algeria during the Allied invasion and finds himself investigating black market murders in The First Wave, the second mystery in this series by James R. Benn.

Lt. Billy Boyle is a third-generation cop from Boston who is currently serving as a military investigator under Maj. Sam Harding in the US Army in 1942. Harding is assigned to liberate Algeria from the Vichy Regime, a client state of Nazi Germany, and Billy accompanies him on the first boat to land on the shores of the African nation. Setting up office in a base hospital, the officers are faced with a number of immediate non-combat problems. A rebel group has captured a group of college students who were in Algeria to protest the war and medical supplies are being stolen and sold on the black market which may also be linked to the murders of several soldiers. Billy's assignment is to find the location of the rebel group as well as to shut down the black market before anyone else is killed.

The combination of fact and fiction is often a compelling mix, especially in a mystery. As Billy is part of the first wave to land on Algeria, he wonders if the French will regard the Americans as invaders or liberators. Historically accurate, this conflict contributes to the suspense of the story and, not coincidentally, adds to the list of suspects. Who can Billy trust in this occupied foreign land?

Billy goes about his assignment with a positive attitude and good humor despite being knocked around a bit. He's a very well drawn character. The mystery here is cleverly conceived with a number of unexpected twists and turns in a multi-faceted plot.

Despite the striking and colorful book cover, The First Wave feels more like a classic noir-ish WWII suspense thriller. Billy's escapades in Algeria are an exciting addition to this well-written series.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The First Wave and to Soho Press for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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New Hardcover Mysteries for December 2007

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries scheduled for publication in December 2007. Below is a preview of 9 of these books (out of the over 40 listed):

Though the scheduled publication date is reported to be December for these books, the actual dates when books may be purchased can vary widely with some available now and a few not shipping until the following month.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the New Mysteries page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where you can discover a library of new mysteries.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Bestsellers for November 30, 2007

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending November 30, 2007 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Another quiet week on the mystery bestseller list with no change among the top 8 titles and no new books added. Next week, however, is sure to see a change. Sue Grafton's 20th Kinsey Millhone mystery, T is for Trespass, is scheduled to be released next Tuesday and it is already a bestseller in pre-sales. (This site only tracks sales of books that have already been released.)

To get a preview of hardcover mystery books scheduled for publication during December, visit our New Mysteries site.

The top four mystery bestsellers this week are depicted below:

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Book Review: UltraViolet by Nancy Bush

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of UltraViolet by Nancy Bush. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

UltraViolet by Nancy Bush
A Jane Kelly Mystery

Kensington Books (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-7582-0909-6 (0758209096)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-0909-2 (9780758209092)
Publication Date: October 2007
List Price: $19.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): For process server-turned-private investigator, Jane Kelly, weddings are murder. Usually that’s a metaphor, but for newly minted P.I. Jane Kelly, it’s fast becoming an all-too-accurate nightmare. Roland Hatchmere, plastic surgery magnate, has been found murdered just before his daughter’s society wedding. The weapon is a wedding gift: a heavy, silver serving tray. The prime suspect is Roland’s ex-wife #2: Violet “Ultraviolet” Purcell, she of the eccentric-bordering-on-insane Purcell clan.

Violet insists that she’s completely innocent. After all, Roland was her absolute favorite ex-husband. And she was nowhere NEAR him at the time of the murder. Well, okay, technically she did meet him for a little pre-nup, bedroom tête-à-tête just before. And they did have a huge fight. And she did hit him with the tray. But just once. Honest. So could Jane just hurry up and prove her innocence? Sure. That should be easy. Let’s just file this one under “12 Kinds of Crazy.” But when Jane’s boss, the temporarily sidelined Dwayne, is convinced Violet’s telling the truth, well, there’s nothing for Jane to do but take her lovable, misfit pug, Binky, and sniff out a few clues.

Everywhere Jane and The Binkster look, there’s a suspect odder than the last, including two grown, very troubled kids, an ex-wife strung out on Botox and a current wife who’s a cross between Donna Reed and a sex kitten—all of them eager to blame Roland’s death on Violet. It doesn’t help that Violet’s story keeps changing faster than a celebrity’s hair extensions. To make matters worse, Dwayne’s convalescence is turning him into Jimmy Stewart in “Rear Window,” complete with binoculars, and he’s convinced there is something very bad going down in the private houses across Lakewood Bay, something that needs Jane and Binky’s close attention. Faster than she can say, “I took criminology courses for this?”, Jane is up to her eyeballs in lies, secrets, Extreme Botox, New Wave bands, truck-stop coffee kiosks (don’t ask), very good scones, Junior League, wedding bandits, high school sociopaths, Plastic Pet Cemetery (don’t ask, part II), a budding attraction to her boss, the Millionaire’s Club, and someone who would kill to keep the past buried.

The deeper Jane digs, the less she wants to know. Every truth leads her deeper into danger, and soon, Jane wonders if her first official case might also be her last…and if the client she’s been asked to clear just might be the coldest black widow of all …

Review: Jane Kelly gets involved in all sorts of mayhem in Nancy Bush's breezy third mystery featuring the Oregon private investigator, UltraViolet.

Jane's primary case has her investigating whether Violet Purcell, the "UltraViolet" in the book's title, murdered her ex-husband and if she did not, who did. The murder weapon: a silver serving tray that was a gift to her daughter who just happened to be getting married on the fateful day. Violet doesn't deny hitting him with the tray during an argument though she insists he was alive and well when she left. Most of the wedding guests are potential suspects leaving Jane to determine who had the greatest motive to murder the father of the bride.

UltraViolet is certainly entertaining but, at well over 350 pages, it is far too long. Part of the problem here is an astonishing amount of repetition of facts. In the first chapter, for example, the reader is informed no less than 10 times that Jane's employer Dwayne has had an accident and his broken leg is in a cast. Unless the author is concerned about readers skimming through the pages, it's unnecessary to be so repetitive. Having Dwayne be a semi-invalid, however, allows Bush to fill more space in the book by introducing a second Hitchcockian plot involving mysterious happenings across the bay. In some ways, and probably ironically, this subplot is more interesting than the whodunit at the wedding.

Despite Jane's nearly constant activity (she seems to burn more calories in a day than most people do in a week), the author keeps the story briskly moving forward. Bush is adept at misdirection and as the number of suspects dwindles in the waning pages, it's still something of a surprise to find out who killed Violet's ex. And that's probably the most important part of a mystery, to keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Special thanks to Nancy Berland Public Relations for providing an ARC of UltraViolet for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Compendium of Mystery News 071128

Today's compendium of recently published mystery news articles:

• Neely Tucker, staff writer for the Washington Post (free registration required), writes an entertaining article on Mannix, a popular detective show from the 70s that has not (yet) made it to DVD—at least not officially. (MBN note: Visit Mysteries on TV to shop for over 100 detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series that are now available or coming soon to DVD.)

• The Mystery Writers of America, in a press release, have announced that two beacons of the literary community sharing one passion for the crime-writing genre will be honored with the Raven Award for 2008: Kate's Mystery Books and The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Kate Mattes of Kate's Mystery Books is being honored with the Raven due to her tireless efforts in advancing the genre of mystery fiction. The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is receiving the Raven Award in recognition of the constant support and dedication the Center has imparted to MWA and to literacy education as a whole.

• In more MWA news, the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America has announced that Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher mysteries, will be the guest of honor at next year's SleuthFest held at the Deerfield Beach Hilton on February 28 through March 02, 2008. Doug Lyle will be the forensic guest of honor.

• Hallie Ephron in her On Crime column in The Boston Globe reviews three new thrillers that involve murder most macabre.

• And Sarah Weinman, in her Dark Passages column in the Los Angeles Times, writes about booze and private eyes.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mystery Book Review: Face Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of Face Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Face Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
A Charlotte McNally Mystery

Harlequin Books (Mass Market Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-373-88143-6 (0373881436)
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-88143-7 (9780373881437)
Publication Date: October 2007
List Price: $5.50

Synopsis (from the publisher): It's the scoop of a journalist's dreams!

New evidence in an old murder case could set a convicted woman free. Who better to crack the story than Boston's own version of Brenda Starr? Unfortunately, the prime source won't talk, the attorney general is trying to block the investigation, and the more Charlotte McNally snoops around, the more people turn up dead!

An extended visit from her persnickety mother isn't helping. And Josh, the incredibly sexy new love of her life, may be the picture of perfection, but that includes a close-up of a prickly preteen who's not keen on sharing her daddy with Charlotte.

What's a star reporter to do? If anyone can pull it together it's Charlotte, but she'd better hurry, because someone wants her nose out of their news—for good.

Review: Hank Phillippi Ryan's second mystery to feature Boston journalist Charlotte "Charlie" McNally, Face Time, has the intrepid investigative reporter delving into a cold case murder.

Dorinda Keeler confessed to murdering her husband three years ago. Case closed, right? Not exactly. While investigating the story, Charlie discovers evidence that proves Dorinda is innocent. Case reopened, right? Not exactly. Dorinda insists she is guilty and the authorities want to keep their open-and-shut murder case closed. But Charlie believes Dorinda is lying in order to protect someone, and despite warnings from everyone around her not to get involved, she sets out to prove Dorinda's innocence, endangering her own life in the process.

Aside from her professional responsibilities, Charlie faces personal difficulties at home. Her mother is visiting and Charlie feels guilty about not being able to spend enough time with her. And Charlie is still trying to develop a relationship with the new man in her life Josh, though his 8-year-old daughter has other ideas.

Face Time provides an entertaining insider look at the field of investigative reporting. Ryan balances the mystery and romance elements of the story in such a way that neither dominates nor do they detract from one another. Add a bit of humor here and a dash of danger there, and the overall result is an excellent romantic mystery.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Face Time and to Book Trends for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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Mysteries on TV: More Series to Enjoy on DVD

No new mystery television series on DVD are being released this week, but we have updated our website with three additional series to the over 100 already available.

Former NFL player Fred Dryer starred as Detective Sergeant Rick Hunter in Hunter, a series than ran for 7 seasons from 1984 through 1991 on NBC. For the first 6 seasons, Stepfanie Kramer starred as his partner, Sergeant Dee Dee McCall. Hunter and McCall were homicide investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Hunter was originally conceived as a Dirty Harry for television and as a result the first season is often criticized for having a considerable amount of violence. As Dryer settled into the character of Hunter and the series evolved, the violence lessened (somewhat) for subsequent seasons.

The executive producer for the first season of Hunter was Stephen J. Cannell who was also responsible for many other mystery television series available on this site including The Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, Silk Stalkings, The Commish, The Greatest American Hero, and others that we hope will soon be available on DVD.

The first 3 seasons of Hunter are currently available on DVD.

Maigret was a 12 episode series that ran on ITV in the UK from 1992 through 1993. Based on the character created by Georges Simenon, Michael Gambon starred as Inspector Jules Maigret of the Sûreté.

Over the years there have been several adaptations of Maigret on television with this particular series being one of the more successful. In 1988, Richard Harris played Maigret in a short-lived series, also on ITV. Harris later went on to play Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies. Following Harris' death in 2002, in a bit of an ironic twist, Michael Gambon assumed the role of Dumbledore in the subsequent movies.

All 12 episodes of Maigret are available on a single DVD set entitled The Maigret Collection.

Murder City was a limited run series produced in the UK and originally airing on ITV. 6 episodes (which comprise Season 1) aired in the spring of 2004; 4 additional episodes (which comprise Season 2) aired two years later. Set in a busy inner city murder squad, the series starred Amanda Donahoe as tough, methodical detective Susan Alembis and Kris Marshall as Luke Stone, her inexperienced and unorthodox partner. Working closely with the rest of the squad, their investigations bring them face to face with tormented pasts, grim secrets and deadly deceptions as they follow up grisly discoveries and frequently put their own lives in jeopardy.

The first season of Murder City is currently available on DVD.

Visit the Mysteries on TV website to discover more television mystery series currently available on DVD.

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Mystery Bookshelf: New Paperback Mysteries for December 2007

The Mystery Bookshelf has updated its website to include new mass market paperback mystery books scheduled for publication in December 2007. Below is a preview of these mysteries:

Though the scheduled publication date is reported to be December for these books, actual available dates tend to be somewhat fluid with some books already on the shelves and a few not shipping until the following month.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit The Mystery Bookshelf website. Paperback mysteries published over the past 6 months are also available for browsing, conveniently sorted by author, series character, and date.

Discover a library of new mysteries at the The Mystery Bookshelf!

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Mystery Godoku Puzzle for November 26, 2007

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

This week's letters and mystery clue: A B C D E I K L T. This was the 2nd mystery in the Lewis Cole mystery series by Brendan Dubois (9 letters).

New! We now have our puzzles in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

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Mystery Book Review: Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae
A Home Crafting Mystery with Sophie Mae Reynolds

Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1116-0 (0738711160)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1116-4 (9780738711164)
Publication Date: October 2007
List Price: $12.95

Synopsis (from the publisher): Cocoa butter soap, check. Lemon lip balm, check. A dead body?

That's just what Sophie Mae Reynolds finds in her workroom: the corpse of Walter Hanover, the neighborhood handyman. He died from drinking lye, something she has in good supply. But the police don't suspect Sophie Mae, a thirty—something widow who makes and sells beauty products. Instead they call it a suicide. But why would a man with lottery cash and a loving fiancée kill himself?

No one can stop the impulsive Sophie Mae from answering this riddle, not her sensible best friend Meghan or Detective Ambrose, who incites annoyance as well as stomach flutters. Sophie Mae's big mouth and sharp nose lead her to a peppermint-scented trail of arson, bigamy, and a shocking family secret that reveals a personal connection to Walter ... and his killer.

Review: Cricket McRae's winsome debut mystery, Lye in Wait, introduces Sophie Mae Reynolds, a widow who sets up a craft shop in her home specializing in soaps and other personal care products.

Following her best friend's divorce, Sophie Mae is asked by Meghan Bly to leave Seattle and move in with her and her daughter in the small town of Cadyville, just north of the city. She's not only offered a room but also space in the basement where she can set up a workshop to create products to sell from her home-based business. Everything is working out fine until Sophie Mae one day opens the door to her workshop and finds the body of Walter, their handyman, dead on the floor. It appears as if he had been poisoned by a concoction of lye and other toxic ingredients. The police initially call it suicide, but Sophie Mae could not believe that anyone could deliberately swallow anything containing lye. She's convinced it was murder and sets out to prove it. After all, the dead man was found in her shop!

It is entertaining to follow Sophie Mae as she becomes an amateur sleuth. She's not above being a bit boorish if it furthers her investigation. She discovers that Walter had recently come into some money, always a motive for murder. The suspects are numerous and include Walter's ex-wife, his fiancé’s brother, and even Meghan's ex-husband. All cozies need the gruff but loveable detective, and true to form there's Detective Ambrose who's always on hand to remind Sophie Mae that murder investigations are best left to professionals.

Lye in Wait is an enjoyable book with a credible, if not complex, plot that's handled well. It's a fine start to this new series. And, as is typical of vocation mysteries, at the end of the book are recipes for readers who would like to try to make lye soap and facial creams.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Lye in Wait and to Midnight Ink for providing a copy of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

For more mystery book reviews visit Mysterious Reviews, a partner with the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books which is committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

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