An intriguing and engaging crime tale with some levity to lighten the pandemic element.
In this eighth installment of a mystery series, the Chautauqua Institution confronts its first Covid-19 death—or was it murder?
Another summer season brings another mysterious death to the Institution, an educational, artistic, and spiritual retreat in Western New York state. On a bench in Bestor Plaza, Mimi Goldman, a reporter for Chautauqua’s The Dailyand an incorrigible sleuth, and her partner in crime-solving, the spirited 95-year-old Sylvia Pritchard, are savoring an outdoor, socially distanced coffee break. Mimi, the series’ lead protagonist, tells her friend that last week’s running gag in the snarky, satirical publication Buglelists the plagues that have beset the Institution in this 2020 summer of Covid-19. And Mimi and Sylvia are among those targeted by the anonymous Bugle writer: “The plague of hail is Chautauqua’s own geezer gumshoes: Me-Me Goldman and Over-the-Hillvia Pritchard” because they “clamor like a drumbeat of hail for attention.” Mimi mentions her boss disclosed that the anonymous Buglewriter is the wealthy Albert Martin, and a surprised Sylvia responds that he is the Institution member who died of Covid-19. On Saturday, during a Zoom staff meeting, Mimi receives an email from Al’s sister, Shannon, asking for help in investigating his death. It turns out it was a telemed doctor who linked Al’s symptoms to Covid-19, and the two surviving Martin brothers had his body cremated without the benefit of an autopsy. There are plenty of suspects—especially the diverse members of the dysfunctional Martin clan—who may have wanted Al dead. But Mimi’s first task is to figure out how he died. With an enthusiastic Sylvia at the wheel (Mimi doesn’t drive), the two women head out to question the coroner. In this enjoyable novel, Pines uses tightly constructed dialogue, often tinged with light, sarcastic repartee, to establish her captivating characters. The author also presents a rich assortment of potential motives for murder, with money and revenge topping the list. There is a new, gently somber tone to this episode, reflective of the first summer of the pandemic. Concerts, lectures, and even sporting events are conducted remotely, and Pines effectively communicates the humorous, frustrating technical quirks that have become routine over the past year.
An intriguing and engaging crime tale with some levity to lighten the pandemic element.Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 979-8-52-501736-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.
Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781805335436
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.
Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel.
The Thursday Murder Club started out with a group of septuagenarians working on old murder cases culled from the files of club founder Elizabeth Best’s friend Penny Gray, a former police officer who's now comatose in the village's nursing home. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse who chronicles their deeds. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, who’s about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Ventham has big plans for the future—as soon as he’s removed the nuns' bodies from the cemetery. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes.
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-98-488096-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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