MURDER IN THE MYSTERY SUITE by Ellery Adams

Publisher:   Berkley
Published:   August 5, 2014
ISBN:  978-0425265598
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Print
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

THREE HEARTS




Coming from a long line of bibliophiles Jane Steward has taken the helm of Storyton Hall, a resort that could well be out of your favourite storybook…particularly if it is a mystery.  To increase her business Jane decides on a Murder and Mayhem week geared for fans of the mystery genre can gather together for some role-playing and a chanced to solve a crime or two.  Surprised at the number of guests, Jane and her staff are delighted.  Things take a slightly serious turn when first a woman is thrown from her house in the middle of town and suddenly dies.  Then, when three guests vie rather seriously for the Murder and Mayhem big prize, Jane is a bit concerned.  Not as concerned though was when the winner of the scavenger hunt, is found dead in the Mystery Suite.  Not only is he found dead, but the very book presented as the prize is missing.  The book turns out to be more valuable than anyone could have imagined.   Concerns abound when Jane realizes one of her guests could be the murderer.  Can she find the killer before the guests realize the appearance of the local policy is not part of the game?  Or worse, before another guest dies?

I’ve read two of Ellery Adams’s prior series, her Books by the Bay and her Magical Cupcakes.  The Magical Cupcakes were a little too fantasy-based for me, but her Books by the Bay were wonderful.  I’ve eagerly awaited each new book in that series and haven’t been disappointed.  When I saw her new series, the Book Retreat Mysteries I couldn’t wait for the books to start appearing.  The first, MURDER IN THE MYSTERY SUITE is a decent read.  There were parts I really liked and parts that, had I not been reading it for review, would have skipped over.  In a way elements of it are blends of her two prior series—there is a slight element of fantasy in terms of Jane’s heritage.

No, she isn’t a wizard or have other magical abilities.  She’s your basic single parent trying to make a success of a family business.  The family isn’t destitute, but they do need to make a success of their business.  What makes me think of some fantasy elements are the hidden passages in the house, hidden rooms and the secret family library.  When Adams has Jane receive a locket and instructions to learn to defend the library it sounded like fantasy was an option.  I hope not.

The mystery itself is weak.  If you are expecting a who-done-it where you are working side-by-side with the sleuth to figure out who the killer is, this is not the book for it.  Yes, there’s a killer and a mystery, but the world building seems to override it.  It wasn’t a unique method of killing however it was nicely done in terms of the big reveal.

There is a fun side to the book as well—most, if not all, of Adams’s characters are either named for famous or well-known fictional detectives or their characters.  Some, as well, like Mrs. Hubbard, are from some well-known fairy tales.

I’m not a fan of “cute” or precocious children in books.  I didn’t see how Jane being a single parent of “cute” twin boys added to the story until the very end.  A little less of them and a little more mystery would have been nice.

I’m on the fence about continuing with this series. I might go on to book 2 and see if the characters have settled down somewhat and then decide.

If you like quirky characters in a setting made for avid readers this is definitely one to check out.



This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A DEADLY CLICHÉ by Ellery Adams

 

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   March 1, 2011
ISBN:  978-0425240236
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Two-1/2

Taking a break from running her restaurant and preparing her week’s critique Olivia Limoges heads down the beach with her standard poodle, Haviland.  While Haviland frolics on the beach Olivia uses her Bounty Hunter metal detector, but what she finds under the sand isn’t quite the treasures she was hoping for.  Rather she is greeted with the unpleasant discovery of a dead body.  She wastes no time calling for her friend and fellow writer’s group member, Sheriff Rawlings.  Once the police arrive the questions mount including just why was the dead man buried naked with a little beach pail in his hand?  On the heels of the murder a series of burglaries are committed and they too have a strange signature to them.  When another writer’s group member, Laura, discovers one of her neighbors has been burgled Laura decides to dip into investigating the crime. 

Laura has wanted to write for as long as she can remember with one of her dreams to be a journalist.  When the opportunity arises to work for the local paper she really wants to pursue the job, but her dentist husband will never go for it.  He wants her home taking care of their toddler twins.  But Laura is determined and between she and Olivia they find a way that maybe Laura can have it all.  Before Laura can write her first article – an interview with one a burgled neighbour, another friend is robbed and her husband left for dead.  Things in otherwise bucolic Oyster Bay have turned stormy and not just because a category three hurricane is knocking at their door. 

I really enjoyed book one of Ellery Adams first book in her Books by the Bay series, A KILLER PLOT and looked forward to book 2, A DEADLY CLICHÉ.  I was sadly disappointed.  The mystery was in and of itself interesting and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming.  The clues were added and built on nicely and the way the writers have gotten to know each other, especially in the aftermath of the death of one of their own, proceeds at a nice pace. 

The problem I had with the story was that it seemed like Ms. Adams had some goals for the series and just wasn’t sure which threads she wanted to address first so she just tossed them all in creating a bit of a mishmash.  There was the long term mystery of just what happened to Olivia’s father and the more immediate ones of who killed the man in the sand and who was burglarizing and robbing the various homes.  Had she split them into two books it would have made for much better reading.  With Olivia’s dad missing for over thirty years he could have stayed missing for another book and maybe led Olivia to another killer. 

A few times I wondered where the editor was or why the author herself hadn’t caught a major inconsistency….when a hurricane thunders through the town, knocking down trees, smashing windows and cutting power, how did a second of beach remain not only untouched by the storm, but that the car tracks and footprints from several days before are still clearly there.  Beach terrains tend not to remain quite the same in the best of conditions and after a hurricane…well…someone dropped the continuity thread there.

Changing relationships mid-way was okay—although the tension of having the two men vie for Olivia could have played well in a few future stories.  But it was just too pat. 

We do see a glimpse of Olivia’s childhood and why she is supposedly aloof and uncaring as an adult.  I look forward to seeing that story unfold in future books.  Despite my disappointment in this one I do plan to read book 3 and see where that takes us.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

PIES AND PREJUDICE by Ellery Adams

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   July 3, 2012
ISBN:  978-0425251409
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Two – 1/2

After walking in to the elevator to find her husband not with one, but with two women – twins at that – from their apartment buck naked and engaged in some extra marital relations Ella Mae LaFaye grabs her dog, Chewy, and with nothing more than the clothes on her back, heads home to Havenwood, Georgia.  There, back with her beloved aunts, her mother’s housekeeper and her mother, Ella Mae takes a hard look at her future, a future that does not include her husband Sloan.  Not one to sit around she sets her sights on opening a pie shop and divorcing the cheating slime ball.  With her aunts at her back everything seems to be falling into place….almost.

There is her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor who also wants the building Charmed Pies will occupy and the woman is used to getting her way.  From high school where she stole the boy Ella Mae loved right out from, well not quite under because that’s not the kind of girl Ella Mae is, but she steals him just the same…till today, Loralyn lets nothing get in her way.  Now engaged to what will be her third husband Loralyn isn’t about to let Ella Mae have anything she wants.  In fact she threatens to do something to cost Ella Mae her pie shop.  It doesn’t take long for that threat to be carried out when Loralyn’s finance is found dead—apparently killed with someone that belongs to Ella Mae.  Can Ella Mae find the real killer before he gets her?

I enjoyed Ellery Adams first series, the Books by the Bay with its quirky writers’ group and seaside setting so I anticipated enjoying her Charmed Pie Shop series as well.  I set my expectations too high and was disappointed.

The paranormal element in PIES AND PREJUDICE just didn’t work for me.  I like cozies for their quirky characters and fun settings.  I don’t need or really care for unexplained events, especially when they aren’t resolved by the end of the story.  Having a few threads left open for future possibilities can be fun.  When a number of avenues are left open—in this case just how come the magic pies are magical and the true character of pretty much all but Ella Mae and her aunts characters are left without resolution I find myself disappointed.  It was like the author didn’t have enough words left in the count to finish out the story and left it for the next one.  There is a tantalizing bit about just where Ella Mae’s name and power might come from, but she doesn’t even really question it.  If you aren’t paying attention you could miss it…but then it’s gone as if the author changed her mind just where she was going with it.

Some of the pies sound so yummy and the recipes at the end seem easy enough that anyone can make them and I plan to try out the Chocolate Pecan Bourbon one—it sounds amazing to eat and simple to make. 

If you like your cozies with a bit of something else you’ll enjoy the Charmed Pie Shoppe series and in particular PIES AND PREJUDICE. 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A KILLER PLOT by Ellery Adams

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   June 1, 2010
ISBN:  978-0425235225
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Three

As a young child, after the death of her parents, Olivia Limoges was spirited away from Oyster Bay, North Carolina.  Now she has returned and is a rather wealthy woman.  She owns several pieces of prime property in town and owns a successful five-star restaurant.  For the most part Olivia keeps to herself and prefers her standard poodle, Havilland for company.  Despite having her own eatery Olivia patronizes the rest of the town’s businesses, especially Grumpy’s Diner.  While she is there one morning one of the members of a local writer’s group approaches her and invites her to join.  Since she’s been struggling with her own book she agrees to join the group.  She goes a step further and offers one of her properties, a lighthouse cottage, to the group to meet.  Before the group can begin their week’s critiques Camden Ford, the very person who invited her to join, turns up dead.  Horrified and saddened Olivia is at a loss as to who would kill such a sweet man.  What makes the death even stranger is a Haiku is found by his body. 

Not long after another visitor to the community is found dead and he too has a Haiku left near his body.  Two men who are worlds apart, unknown to each other, both dead mere days apart from each other.  Can Olivia find the killer before a third victim is found?

There were parts of Ellery Adams’ A KILLER PLOT that I really enjoyed and parts that I found myself shaking my head.  I adored Olivia’s dog, Havilland.  While he was at time amorthropized, I kinda like a dog who smiles.  I liked how his innate intelligence came out in the story. 

Dixie, one of the owners of Grumpy’s was a hoot.  I wasn’t sure why she was always in roller-skates, even outside her waitressing, but there was such great energy about her.  Sheriff Rawlings was a wonderful, solid character. 

The town of Oyster Bay has much to recommend it.  With its quaint shops and variety of restaurants and entertainments it has something for everyone.  I wouldn’t mind having some of the dishes served a Olivia’s restaurant, The Boot Top.

I didn’t much care for Olivia parking in the handicapped parking places and at times is seemed as if she thought she could buy her way into anything.  Conversely, she did care very much about her town.

No reason was given why she returned to Oyster Bay or how she came into her money.  They might be revealed in a future story along with a well done mystery behind them.

The book had what have become the usual clichés – the gay couple, the differently abled person, the put upon young mother with children who are just too cute for words.  The only missing was an interracial couple but they may turn up in a future book.  There’s nothing wrong with including these elements but they seem to be put in as a way to gain readership rather than something to move the story along.

Still, the whole plot line of using the Haiku was refreshing to read.  Very novel idea!  And the reason behind the murders kept me guessing until the very end.  I plan on continuing the series just to see what comes next.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A DEADLY CLICHÈ by Ellery Adams

A Books By The Bay Mystery
Publisher: Berkley
Date published: March 2011
ISBN: 9780425240236
Mass Market Paperback
Cozy mystery
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained via Publisher


Olivia Limoges enjoys her life in Oyster Bay, North Carolina. Her restaurant is doing well, and she has some great friends in the form of, the The Bayside Book Writers who meet weekly. One day, as she is walking her poodle along the beach, she finds a dead body buried in the sand. Chief Rawlings, who is also a member of the book writer’s club, is busy with the murder, an impending hurricane and a rush of robberies that have happened of late. The robberies don’t seem too strange as they have been done while the home owners were away, but the robbers have always left something strange behind. Chief Rawlings asks his writer friends to help him to find out what these bizarre items mean and if the murder is in any way connected to the robberies. Olivia is involved in solving the crime, and maybe a relationship with the Chief. Suddenly, the father she thought was lost at sea is maybe alive after all.

Ellery Adams has written a really good story with solid characters and a clever mystery. I could hardly put this one down. I loved the characters and was nicely surprised at the ending. Olivia is a complex character and does many things behind the scenes to help the people of the town. She doesn’t want them to know it was her. Although she has friends, she is still a bit of a loner. She also acts like a spoiled brat at times, but I thought this made her more interesting and I eagerly watched her, growing and changing. I enjoyed the meetings of the book club and listening to their writing. I thought it rather clever of this author to also write the first bits of their books which also reflected on their characters. So, if you like your cozy mystery with a dash of drama, then you will certainly enjoy this one.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of the book.