Gin & Daggers

Number: 88
Title: Gin & Daggers
Author: Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
Started: August 04, 2007
Finished: August 09, 2007
Pages: 255
Genre: mystery
ISBN: 0-451-19998-7

Language: English

Where The Book Came From: It was on my bookshelf.

First Sentence: "Care to take a closer look, Mrs. Fletcher?"

Cover Blurb: Jessica Fletcher is off to London to deliver the keynote address at a convention for the International Society of Mystery Writers. She's also looking forward to seeing her mentor, Marjorie Ainsworth, who's hosting a party on her estate to celebrate her latest book. But a routine business trip becomes murderous business - when Jessica discovers Marjorie stabbed to death in her own bedroom.

Gossip about Marjorie's failing health and an unknown ghostwriter takes on more serious meaning now that everyone - including Jessica - is a suspect. Inspector George Sutherland of Scotland Yard is eager to help with the investigation for reasons that go a bit beyond the professional. And Jessica's sleuthing introduces her to a whole new side of London, populated with some very colorful - and sinister - characters.

Reason For Reading: I absolutely love the TV series and try to watch it whenever I have the chance, so of course I couldn't hold off much longer reading the books as well :-)

Comments: Oh wow! This is the first in series and I can't believe I held off reading it so long! I might just chose this series as one for my series challenge, though it's a long series and I doubt I can finish it within the 6 months I chose for the challenge.

I missed watching the show as it hasn't been aired in a while, but it seems those books are a wonderful way to re-connect with my beloved characters from Cabot Cove!

Oh, There is one thing I realized while reading and writing this review - while I got it as a mass market paperback I don't even have any traces that the book has been read. Appears I got lucky ;-)

Favorite Part: When Seth and Sheriff Metzger come to "rescue" Jessica. They're such good friends, I would've wondered if they hadn't appeared...

Miscellaneous: It's one of those first the TV show, then the books series, and it seems the author(s) did a wonderful job. I read a few book-after-movie/TV show books and usually it's rather disappointing.

Rating: A-

Back from the vacation

I'm back from my vacation. I spent two weeks away from everything, but read only 2 books:
Kathy Reichs: Déjà Dead
and
Laura Childs: The Jasmine Moon Murder
But I had a wonderful time and in the end, that's what counts!

I will post a few reviews over the next couple days, but I'm still swamped with unread mail, so it'll be a while until everything's back to normal ;)

On vacation

I'll be on a vacation now. I'll take quite a few books with me. Probably way more than I can read, but anyways...

Since I'll be offline, I won't be able to approve new comments, so please bear with me. Also, once I'm back I'll have quite a few new reviews for you!

The books I'll take are:

Kathy Reichs: Déjà Dead
Margaret Atwood: Cat's Eye
Theodor Fontane: Frau Jenny Treibel
Stephanie Barron: Jane and the Man Of Cloth
Robert Fate: Baby Shark
Carolyn Haines: Crossed Bones
Laura Childs: The Jasmine Moon Murder
Susan Conant & Jessica Conant-Park: Steamed
Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights
a Harlan Coben (I forgot the title, it's the one where this guy made a mistake and 20 years late, life changed and everything, he becomes suspect in a murder)
a Stephen Booth (first in series, I think, if I'm right it should be Black Dog - have this one in German and am not sure about the English title, only know the German one)

See you all once I'm back - and if you have a comment on the books I'll take along, feel free to post. I'll update ASAP!

Undead and Unemployed

Number: 89
Title: Undead and Unemployed
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Started: August 09, 2007
Finished: August 10, 2007
Pages: 272
Genre: paranormal romance with some mystery added
ISBN: 0-425-19748-4

Language: English

Where The Book Came From: It was on my bookshelf for quite a while

First Sentence:
Police Interview of Robert Harris.
June 30, 2004
55121 @02:32:55-03:45:32 A.M.
Filed by Detective Nicholas J. Berry
Fourth Precinct, Minneapolis, Minnesota

After being treated at the scene, Mr. Harris denied the offer of hospital care, and consented to accompany the responding officers, Whritnour and Watkins, to the precinct for an interview.

Cover Blurb: Nothing can make Betsy Taylor give up her shoe fetish - even dying and rising as the new Queen of the Vampires. Being royally undead isn't all it's cracked up to be - there are still bills to be paid. And Betsy is determined to live as normally as possible, even if it means getting a job. A "feet" she accomplishes with panache, landing her dream job selling designer shoes at Macy's.

Things couldn't be better - except for her new friends, who keep pestering her while she's on the clock. As if she has time to socialize when there are deliciously sinful shoes to try on - and buy at a discount. It seems that vampires are being murdered in St. Paul, and they're all clamoring for Betsy to do something about it. The worst part is she's going to have to enlist the help of the one vamp who makes her blood boil: the oh-so-sexy Sinclair. Now, she's really reading on dangerous ground - high heels and all...

Reason For Reading: I just was longing for another of Betsy's adventures - and it seems I read the first (and only previous) exactly a year ago in August 2006 *g*

Comments: Hilarious! Simply hilarious, and nothing helps against it. I read this book during various commutes/short trips for a few shopping sprees and it was just great! I had troubles putting it down even though I usually got to a new chapter short before we arrived - but then I started the next chapter not paying attention and had to stop two pages into the new chapter - horror!

I don't think it'll take another year before I read the third book about Betsy's adventures. It has good chances to be included in the series challenge starting in December. It's a fun series and I stand wonderful chances to read the entire series till the end of the challenge.

With this series, I immediately feel back at home, so to say. I pick up the book, open it, and all the characters are back in my mind. I know who they are, where to place them and how they're related, despite the long time since I last read the book. The author simply created love-able characters and it's always fun to meet them.

Favorite Part: Probably all the annoyance Betsy felt when it came to Sinclair. You get it if you know the books!

Rating: A

The Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven

Number: 87
Title: The Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven
Author: Meg Cabot
Started: August 2, 2007
Finished: August 3, 2007
Pages:285
Genre: YA
ISBN: 0-330-44155-1

Language: English

Where The Book Came From: It was on my Mt TBR (now 148 books high).

First Sentence: Dear Dr Cark Jung, I realize that you will never read this letter, primarily because you are dead.

Cover Blurb: Sexy dancing? Lilly thought I was sexy dancing! With J.P.! In front of Michael!

Poor Mia. Not only has she made a total ass of herself with J.P. (aka the Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn In The Chilli), trying to prove she's a super chilled party girl, she's also bankrupted the student council. Way to go, Princess!

Just as Mias scared that she's lost Michael and a ton of money, Grandmere steps in with a fund raising plan. She's going to stage a musical in front of the world's hottest celebs - and the star will be none other than Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldy Thermopolis Renaldo!

Reason For Reading: I had rather unexpectedly finished the book I brought home with me from my parents' for the night/the next day, so I picked this one up.

Favorite Part: That's a hard one, but I think the most hilarious part was when Mia was fussing about Michael's party and when she was at the party later on...

Miscellaneous: I want more!!! I think I'm going to re-read the series so that I can get the half-books in between.

Rating: B+

A Blush With Death

Number: 86
Title: A Blush With Death
Author: India Ink
Started: July 27, 2007
Finished: August 1, 2007
Pages: 272
Genre: mystery
ISBN: 0-425-20966-0

Language: English

Where The Book Came From: It was on Mt TBR for quite a while.

First Sentence: My name is Persia Vanderbilt, and I bill myself as a sensory specialist.

Cover Blurb: In Gull Harbor, Washington, the local bath and body store - Venus Envy - takes care of all the town's beauty needs, from custom-blended oils to relaxing spa services. And behind the counter sits Persia Vanderbilt, the niece of the proprietor, who has a nose for mixing scents - and a mind for solving murder...

There's only one #1...

There's a new makeover maven in town, and she spells big trouble for everyone at Venus Envy. Bebe Wilcox has just unveiled her own boutique, and she won't stop until her shop has put everyone else out of business. Nothing is out of bounds, from stealing fragrance recipes to computer hacking and sabotaging supplies. But when one of Bebe's pushy saleswomen ends up dead, the stakes become much more dangerous. Staging a public falling out with her Auntie, Persia gets hired at Bebe's Boutique and begins snooping for evidence of wrongdoing. But can she find the goods before the killer decides to find her?

Reason For Reading: It was a buddy read that we arranged for because some of us couldn't participate the first time around.

Comments: While I just didn't get into the book when I first started to read it maybe half a year ago, I this time enjoyed it a lot. I assume it was just the wrong timing back then - and I already ordered the third, Glossed and Found.

I enjoyed to see how Auntie Florence and Persia went on with the plotting and how they reacted in different situations. The interesting part about the book was the character development, compared to the first in series, Scent to her Grave. The reader got a much deeper insight into Aunt Florence's and Persia's past. On top of that q few really interesting new characters have been introduced in this installment and hopes are high they will return in the future.

Miscellaneous: As soon as I was back at my computer with an internet connection, I ordered the next in the series and I can't wait to read it. Actually, I intend to take it with me on my vacation in about 10 days :-D

Rating: B+