Cozy Mystery Challenge 2009 Wrap-Up

I'm not much of a mystery reader so I thought this would be an interesting challenge for me. I did finish in time and it opened my eyes to a new genre. Here is my final list for the challenge:

1 Shoot the Moon - Billie Letts (completed 4/04/09)
2 One Deadly Sin - Annie Solomon (completed 4/16/09)
3 The Late, Lamented Molly Marx - Sally Koslow (completed 4/22/09)
4 The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton (completed 4/30/09)
5 The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe (completed 4/09/09)
6 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley (completed 5/28/09)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley

Our story begins with Flavia de Luce tied up, blindfolded, and stowed away in a closet by her mean older sisters. Isn’t that how all great detectives start their story?

Set in England during the 1950's, Flavia de Luce, 11 years old, lover of all things chemistry and deadly poisonous concoctions is quite the sleuth in this tale. It all starts with a dead bird, a stamp, a missing piece of pie, and then there’s that mysterious body that turns up dead in the cucumber patch out back. We also meet her eccentric family, sisters Ophelia (17 - mostly found in the vicinity of a mirror), Daphne (13 - usually found with her nose in a book), and father Colonel de Luce (quite the recluse). When Flavia’s father is arrested for murder - who better than her to find the clues to solve this case and save her father from prison. No one suspects anything of an 11 year old girl, so her questions are easily answered by her neighbors and townsfolk. That and her vast knowledge of chemistry and science help guide her way through suspect lists, long-forgotten events and eventually land her right smack in the middle of all the danger.

This was such a unique story. Flavia is not your average child - she is quite brilliant and does not act or think like any 11 year old I know. Notwithstanding that, having an 11 year old as your main character actually brightened this dark mystery. She was funny, clever and feisty. I loved the scenes where she is arguing with her sisters. She is not someone you want to mess with or she’ll definitely tamper with your lipstick and cause unimaginable discomfort. From what I read of Mr. Bradley’s biography, it seems Flavia will have a recurring role in his next book. This story is charming and a great old-fashioned mystery that kept me guessing with its many twists and turns. Flavia is my hero!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good 'ol mystery.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

This story follows the lives of three women, set in three time frames (early 1900's, 1975 and 2005) but all linked together through a garden, on an estate in Cornwall. The story mostly revolves around Nell and the mystery of who she is, where she came from and how/why she ended up where she did. Nell was abound on a ship from England to Australia. She was found stranded on an Australian dock at the age of four. At that time, she was taken in by Hugh (who oversaw the dock) and was given a family and a home. On Nell’s 21st birthday, her father told her the truth of how she came to be a part of his family - a truth that changed the rest of her life.

The book mostly revolves around Nell’s mystery although it’s told through several points of view spanning a little over a century - Cassandra (Nell’s granddaughter - 2005); Nell (1975); and Eliza (early 1900's). At first it was a bit disconcerting all the jumping around from character to character, but I quickly got over that and I absolutely loved it.

The writing was splendid, I loved Ms. Morton’s descriptions of London and Cornwall at the turn of the century. Her characters were likeable and well-developed. With an interesting story and plot that had enough twists and revelations to keep the pages turning. The fairytales scattered throughout the story were my favorite part - I kept looking forward to each one. The book itself is a thing of beauty - with it’s illustrations of frolicking fairies on the inner flap of the covers.

This was just a joy to read!! and I recommend it to anyone that loves a good mystery with a beautiful historical backdrop.

One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon

Edie Swann heads back to her hometown, Redbud, with one intention only - and that is revenge. She has a list given to her by her dying aunt that has the five names of the men that her father had dealings with shortly before his tragic death. Her only problem is that someone starts off-ing these men making her the main suspect in their murders.

Local lawman and the man that makes Edie's heart race - Holt Drennen is handling the death cases of these prominent Redbud residents... but are they accidental deaths or murders? As his feelings for Edie grow so do his suspicions of her somehow being involved.

This book can be emotional when it delves into Edie's insecurities and fears. Although on the outside she might look tough riding a Harley, tattoos all over and wearing leather - she is rather fragile on the inside. She is a strong character that has to overcome her past and learn to live for herself and her future.

While spine-tingling is not a word that is usually associated with romance Annie Solomon makes it so by her masterful descriptions of these crimes. The not over descriptive intimate love scenes are frequent and varied throughout this read - add in a mysterious murderer, and you have a true page-turner.

There were some interesting plot lines, and the narrative was good enough to keep me intrigued, sometimes to push me to go to the next chapter when I know I should stop and go to bed. It definitely had me guessing as to the twists and turns it was going to take and I was never able to guess whodunnit until the very end. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a nice little romantic suspense read and would definitely recommend it.

GIVEAWAY: I have 5 copies of ONE DEADLY SIN by Annie Solomon to giveaway.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. And if you follow this blog or already are following leave me a note and I'll be glad to give you a second entry.

Rules: Books will be delivered directly from Publisher so giveaway is only available for residents of the US and Canada. No P.O. Boxes please. Winners will be drawn this Friday - May 1.

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow

Molly Divine Marx is dead!

But that's just the beginning of this book. Molly is in her "Duration". Duration= being able to see your friends, family, etc. and hear their thoughts, yet not be able to do anything to contribute to what they're thinking, feeling, etc. (a little reminiscent of The Lovely Bones). With her guide "Bob" she is able to navigate through this new state of being and is able to flit from one person to another as they try to solve the mystery of her death.

The story starts at Molly's funeral and shows us how her husband, daughter, parents, sister and friends are all affected and are coping with her untimely death. Oh yea, and of course, the investigator who is handling her case and is trying to decipher whether her death was an accident, suicide or murder.

Through flashbacks we are able to read about Molly's relationships with her husband (who is quite the cheater and a very despicable character) and then there's Luke (the man that Molly was in love with). We are able to relive some of the best moments as well as some of the mistakes she made in her life.

I absolutely - hands down - adored this book. I thought Molly was such a lovely narrator. She was just so funny, likeable and so full of life - that it was sad to think that she was dead from the start of her story. Ms. Koslow's characters are well-developed and singularly distinct with little quirks and flaws that make them real. This is one of those rare books that draws you in and you feel as if you are experiencing it rather than just reading it.

Was Molly in such a slump in life that she couldn't find any other way out of her situation other than to kill herself? Or was she murdered? You'll have to read this gem of a book to find out - but I will warn you, this book isn't so much about solving a mystery as it is about relationships. I enjoyed this very much and I highly recommend it.

This book is scheduled for release on 5/19/09 - so mark your calendars as you will not be disappointed.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

This is the story of Connie Goodwin, a doctoral candidate in American History at Harvard, who (upon her mother’s request) spends the summer cleaning and clearing out her grandmother's house that has been vacant for 20 years in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Little did Connie know what she was in store for when she agreed to this tedious task.

While browsing through her grandmother’s old books, Connie stumbles upon a very old key in a bible. Attached to this key is an equally old slip of paper with the name, Deliverance Dane.

Told through flashbacks from Salem in the late 1690's we learn the story of Deliverance, a woman condemned as a witch in 1692, her daughter and eventually her granddaughter, as well as the history of the "Receipt Book" which is handed down from generation to generation.

As Connie tries to get the house back to rights in order to sell it for lack of payment of taxes, she is also working on her doctorate course and is persuaded by her adviser to find Deliverance's physick book otherwise known as a Shadow Book which might be the perfect topic for her doctorate - having found an unknown Salem witch.

I could not put this down! -- this is historical fiction at it's finest. It makes you want to know more about the time and immerses you wholly in it's world. The link in the story between contemporary times and the past is gripping as well as the commentary on religion and the Salem Witch Trials. I especially liked that Ms. Crouch uses so much detail when describing Salem in 1692. The houses, the way they talked, dressed, lived was all very detailed. She uses real names and events to depict Deliverance’s demise. She definitely did her research and it was neat to read that she was related to two of the named witches. I highly recommend this.

This book will be available in June, so make sure to make a note of it and put it on your TBR list so you don’t forget to pick up a copy. In my opinion, you will not be disappointed. I’m dying to see what the finished product will look like - since I only have an ARC. But the binding, with its flap covering the pages, beautiful artwork, and thick paper makes this book quite a treasure.

Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts

In 1972, the town of DeClare, Oklahoma, was consumed by a terrifying crime - Gaylene Harjo a teenaged single mother was brutally murdered and her 10 month old son Nicky Jack Harjo had disappeared. Nicky Jack’s pajama bottoms were found on the banks of Willow Creek and nothing was heard of him for nearly 30 years.

Shortly after his father’s death, Mark Albright finds documents revealing he was adopted. He always felt that he never fit in and was somewhat of an outcast, yet he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a successful veterinarian to the stars pets in Beverly Hills.

In search of his roots, Mark traces his biological mother to the town of DeClare where sadly he is informed of her untimely death and his mysterious disappearance. Befriending some of the local townsfolk and some of his long lost relatives, he reopens Gaylene’s murder case, making him the "talk of the town" but also placing him in danger since someone doesn’t want this case to be investigated any further.

Shoot the Moon is full of the authentic heartland characters that Billie Letts writes about so beautifully. This book is a fun, light read with some neat and quirky characters, suspense and even romance. I will admit it wasn’t as predictable as I thought since I was sure I knew "whodunnit" and was thrown for a loop when I found out who really "dunnit". It did have too neat an ending but it was still very enjoyable - if you don't want to think too much.

Cozy Mystery Challenge 2009

Challenge Rules:

1. The challenge runs from April 1, 2009 –September 30, 2009 (6 months)
2. The goal is to read at least 1 cozy mystery for each month, so a total of 6. You can read these all in the same month, one per month, or however you want.
3. It is ok to use books that you are already reading for other challenges, however at least 2 need to be specific for this challenge.
4. You do not need to have a blog to participate
5. You are not required to make a list of books you plan to read ahead of time, but it would be fun if you did. I do ask that you at least create a post for this challenge and link back to this post. Please also note how many books you plan to read for this challenge.
6. You must sign-up before April 1st, so the last date to sign up is March 31st.
7. To sign up for the challenge – please use Mr. Linky below. Behind your name, please put the number of books you plan to read for this challenge in ( ). Example: Kris (6) If you have trouble with Mr. Linky, just leave a comment.
8. At the end of the challenge, If you have a blog, please create a wrap-up post telling others how you did and listing each of the books you read for the challenge and link them to your reviews. I will create a posting regarding the end of the challenge and ask that you sign Mr. Linky and link your wrap-up post. That made sense right? If you don't have a blog, just enter your name and the number of books you did read in ( ). Example: Kris (6).
9. Prizes you ask? Of course! For each person who completes the challenge, I will send you a homemade bookmark. I know – you are overcome with excitement you can join this challenge fast enough!