A quick and tasty tale of sabotage in the suburbs.
Toxic treats spell trouble for a school secretary at Halloween.
Although Melanie Travis is best known for the triumphs of her champion standard poodles in the dog-show ring, her job tutoring special needs students at Howard Academy, a private school in upscale Greenwich, is also a source of satisfaction for the breeder. Melanie works to maintain good relationships with her colleagues, even agreeing to help novice teacher Cheryl Feeney prepare for this year’s Halloween celebration. But the person who really needs Melanie’s help, Cheryl confides, is Harriet Bloom. The omnicompetent school secretary spent the better part of the fall making marshmallow puffs, a delicacy cherished by both the Howard Academy staff and Ms. Bloom’s neighbors. That is, until one of those neighbors, Ralph Penders, dies after eating one. Once the police zero in on Harriet as chief suspect, she reaches out to Melanie with a proposal. She’ll take over the party planning with Cheryl—no great stretch for the seasoned secretary—if Melanie will please find out who slipped the cyanide into Mr. Penders' puff. Harriet’s sister, Bernadette, can’t think of any reason why someone would want to do away with the memory-impaired senior citizen, whose gravest fault seems to have been wandering the neighborhood in his pajamas. But once Melanie starts digging, she discovers a treasure trove of microaggressions and petty grievances in this quiet corner of Connecticut, with motives aplenty for murder.
A quick and tasty tale of sabotage in the suburbs.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4967-3057-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An interesting puzzle infused with Big Apple attitude.
In trying to revive her failing coffee shop, a woman uncovers murders past and present.
Clare Cosi manages the Village Blend, an iconic Greenwich Village coffee shop, with her former mother-in-law, Madame Blanche Dreyfus Allegro DuBois, the original owner, and her ex-husband, Matteo Allegro, who travels the world in search of specialty coffee beans. A new customer, who says to call him Mr. Scrib, spends hours in the upstairs lounge writing in a notebook until he has a manic episode ending in hospitalization. Bent on enticing more customers, the staff comes up with the idea of reviving the use of the lounge as a writing retreat. The Writer’s Block, as it was once known, was a great success until it became the location of an unsolved murder. One evening while Clare is talking to Madame, noises in the alley draw them out—where they see someone attacking Mr. Scrib, apparently seeking his notebook. A furious Clare chases the miscreant, is hit by an electric scooter, and awakens in the arms of her fiance, NYPD Lieutenant Mike Quinn. A hospital wristband reveals that Mr. Scrib is really Jensen Van Dyne, a member of the original writing group from a period Madame does not like to talk about. Clare, who has a long history of solving murders, is determined to research the people involved, at least one of whom is now a famous author and a friend of Madame’s. To add to her stress, she sees Matt having a secret meeting with their nemesis, Cody Wood, whose national chain sells inferior coffee. Several of the clues she unearths from the past lead her to spend time in the rarified air of New York’s rich and famous seeking a killer.
An interesting puzzle infused with Big Apple attitude.Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593642283
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Author and heroine both know what they’re doing in this cat-centric cozy.
When a well-liked endodontist and part-time rocker is murdered, a small-town librarian relies on her magical cats and her wits to solve the case.
Sure, Kathleen Paulson’s always known that Mike Bishop played in Johnny Rock and the Outlaws, but she’s never appreciated how good he is until she and her friends see a live reunion concert. It’s unbelievable that the endodontist who perfected her smile can also wail on the guitar and truly rock out. Kathleen’s boyfriend, Marcus, and her closest friend, Roma, are equally in awe. But Mike’s not one to brag, and when Kathleen runs into him after the show, he’s more interested in discussing his recent genealogical research than in projecting a rocker persona. In her librarian role, Kathleen’s been helping Mike find resources to research his Finnamore family history, and he’s finally ready to draft his family tree. Kathleen can even recommend an artist to help Mike turn his research into something beautiful. But before the transition from notes to art can get underway, Marcus calls Kathleen with some shocking information from his role as the Mayville Heights police detective: Mike is dead, and the signs point to murder. Kathleen is shocked that someone would murder Mike, who was universally liked, and feels she must discover the truth. Unlike in many other cozies, Kathleen and Marcus share information in mutual faith that one of them will solve the case. Of course, Kathleen has the advantage of Owen and Hercules, cats with magical powers that may help guide her to answers.
Author and heroine both know what they’re doing in this cat-centric cozy.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593199-98-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: July 9, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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