Glasgow is as much a character—and as contradictory a mix of light and dark—as Dolan’s very human heroine in this complex...
The murder of a prominent Scottish lawyer reopens an old case and new wounds.
When a hung-over Maddalena di Rio Shannon, deputy Procurator Fiscal, wakes up next to a strange man, at least they’re both fully clothed. And she knows who he is: Doug Mason, a defense attorney with the Glasgow law firm JCG Miller. Before they can reflect on their semi-compromising situation, Doug gets a text that his boss, Julian Miller, has been killed. Although Maddy has a reputation for interfering in cases long before they come to trial, she resists the temptation to visit the crime scene and instead lets DI Alan Coulter, the lead detective, handle the initial investigation. Coulter learns that Miller, his associate Bill Crichton, and Tom Hughes, a successful real estate developer, had dined together. Crichton left early; Hughes and Miller stayed on until the early hours; then Miller went to his office, where he was shot at his desk. After Maddy discovers by chance that Crichton and Miller’s wife are romantically involved, Crichton begs Maddy to keep his secret shortly before falling from the third floor of his house. As the complications pile up (a missing file, a link to a negligence lawsuit that Maddy had tried and lost, a shipment of guns, a mysterious fourth man in league with Hughes, Miller, and Crichton), Maddy must deal with her long-distance lover, ward off Mason’s advances, and decide whether she wants a reunion with her newly reappeared father. She’s 40 and drinks too much, her career is “on a shoogly nail,” her mum’s “a pain in the bahookie,” and she should let others handle the Miller case. But she won’t give it up, despite a warning that she may be the next target.
Glasgow is as much a character—and as contradictory a mix of light and dark—as Dolan’s very human heroine in this complex sequel to Potter’s Field (2015).Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-908251-68-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Dufour
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Despite its caloric restrictions, Fluke’s 11th cozy is a tasty treat.
A new fitness regimen allows Hannah Swensen (Carrot Cake Murder, 2008, etc.) to exercise her ingenuity along with her abs when she finds a dead body in the local health club’s Jacuzzi.
Hannah isn’t used to having her suitor, Detective Mike Kingston, give her amateur investigations his blessings. But then, she’s not used to having to eat skinless chicken breasts night after night instead of feasting on the treats she and Lisa Beeseman serve up daily at The Cookie Jar. So even though her diet and exercise plan—undertaken in a last-ditch attempt to fit into the Regency dress she ordered for her mother’s book launch—is a drag, her newfound freedom to probe the death of fitness instructor Ronni Ward is a treat, not in the least because Ronni’s demise puts paid to her shameless flirting with every man in sight. Not only Mike, but Hannah’s sister Andrea’s county-cop husband Bill and Lisa’s local-cop husband Herb are barred from the official investigation because they were just too close to the victim. In fact, Norman Rhodes, Hannah’s second-string beau, may be the only man in Lake Eden Ronni hadn’t tried to bed. His immunity to Ronni’s charms, along with his own charming modesty, raises his stock in Hannah’s eyes, and before long the two of them are whipping up Bonnie Brownie Cookie Bars in his custom-designed kitchen while watching security tapes to see who might have taken Ronni for her final swim.
Despite its caloric restrictions, Fluke’s 11th cozy is a tasty treat.Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7582-1022-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fluke’s latest puzzler boasts 25 recipes and even more surprises.
A cruise may be romantic for Lake Eden’s Lutheran minister and his wife, but it’s murder for Hannah Swensen (Gingerbread Cookie Murder, 2010, etc.) and her pals.
Now that his childhood friend Matthew Walters has taken over his pastoral duties for two weeks, Rev. Bob Knudson can finally take his bride Claire on a belated honeymoon. Grandma Knudson’s willing to look after Matthew, just as she did when he and his cousin Paul stayed in Lake Eden as a teenager. And she’s even willing to keep an eye on Pete Nunke’s mynah, who’s staying in the rectory while Pete recovers from back surgery. Of course Hannah keeps Grandma Knudson well stocked with Butterscotch Bonanza Bars and Nutmeg Snaps from The Cookie Jar, her coffee shop. But when one of Hannah’s visits ends with the discovery of Matthew’s body face down in a piece of Red Devil’s Food Cake (recipe included), she leaves Grandma Knudson in the care of Clara and Marguerite Hollenbeck to stalk a killer. Hannah’s partner Lisa Beeseman entertains customers with tales of the grisly find while Hannah enlists sisters Andrea and Michelle to question potential suspects. They even stop at the skuzzy Eagle roadhouse to question Lenny Peske about the dollar coin he gave Lisa as a tip. Hannah’s main partner-in-crime-prevention, Norman Rhodes, on the other hand, has seemed strangely preoccupied ever since his ex-fiancée, Beverly Thorndike, joined his dental practice. Will Claire and Bob’s idyllic adventure spell romantic disaster for Lake Eden’s premier sleuth?
Fluke’s latest puzzler boasts 25 recipes and even more surprises.Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7582-3491-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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