Book Review: Uncle and Ants by Marc Jedel

The first of the A Silicon Valley Mystery series, Uncle and Ants is a fun, funny cozy mystery that kept me tapping the screen right to the end. The characters are unique and varied, well, mostly. At one point, Meghan meets Megan, and then I had to pay close attention! The similarity in names only adds to the quirkiness of the story.

Uncle Marty, who tells the tale in first person, ends up taking care of his nieces, Skye and Megan, while their mother, Laney, is in hospital after a strange vehicle accident. What follows is a zany array of crazy ants (Dorymyrmex insanus, to be precise), drones, Rover cars that drive themselves, attempted murder, milkshake testing, drug lords, Mrs. Quarles the horrible, Mrs. Kim the lovely, Mace Jackson the cop who used to be a…well, you’ll have to find that out on your own.

The plot is humorous to begin with, even though it hovers around keeping someone from killing Marty’s sister, Laney, but add in wit, sarcasm, puns, off-the-wall jokes, misunderstandings, and it rocks along hilariously. As Skye says to Marty at one point, “It’s a new thing, just go with it.” An enjoyable read. There are a few instances of language, but it is not gratuitous.

The second book in the series, Chutes and Ladder, is also up for purchase.

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Great Cozy Mystery Series opener: Death in the English Countryside

Death in the English Countryside by Sara Rosett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally, another cozy mystery series I can enjoy! I fell in love with the characters early on, there was lots of mystery to the plot, the English countryside wooed me into the story, and the writing flowed. I could see this story in my mind as I read.

Kate Sharp travels from L.A. to Nether Woodsmoor to look for her boss, who is MIA on a mission to scout for homes and estates as locations for a new Pride & Prejudice filming. There she meets Alex, a local scout who helps her look for her boss. That goal isn’t easily reached, as they discover secrets around every corner, hiding the truth they are seeking.

An excellent read, in fact, I’ve ordered the next book in the Murder on Location series, Death in an English Cottage. Besides the six other novels in the series, plus a novella, author Sara Rosett has written six novels in her On the Run series, and about a dozen other cozy mysteries. Read on! Lots to choose from.

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Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart — Book Review

For me, this book started out slowly. I continued reading anyway, and I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be well worth the time commitment.

The story in brief:

Police officer Michael Keane has returned from the dark, dead-end streets of Chicago to his hometown of Hidden Springs, Kentucky, where things are quiet and calm. That’s when the corpse shows up on the steps of the courthouse. So much for small-town sanctuary.

Through the progression of the story, we see Michael’s background, at least what he can remember since the dark night when his parents were killed in a car crash and he almost died as well. We meet his straight-laced but caring Aunt Lindy; his childhood girl friend, Alex; teenaged Anthony, whom Michael is trying to watch over against the boy’s wishes; and the rest of the unique residents of Hidden Springs.

Now that there’s been a murder, Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane must search out the murderer. He must observe people and figure out what makes them tick. Which of them could be capable of murder?

 

Even when I realized “whodunit,” there were still a couple of subplots to keep me turning pages to see how the author would bring all things to a finish.

Ann H. Gabhart

Ann Gabhart has written many books in different genres, and this cozy mystery is certainly entertaining and inspiring.

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