Book Review: The Twelve Suspects of Christmas (Julie Cavallo Investigates) by Ana T. Drew

The Twelve Suspects of Christmas by Ana T. Drew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A long-forgotten cold case may add up to murder!

The Twelve Suspects of Christmas is a spin-off cozy mystery set in the Provencal world of the author’s culinary-themed Julie Cavallo Investigates series. It features elderly grandmothers Rose Tassy and Annie Malian. The two sassy senior sleuths work together to uncover the truth behind the decades-past suicide of Annie’s first love.

The main characters, Rose and Annie, are the grandmothers of Julie Cavallo and Gabriel Adinian, respectively, the leads in the foundation series; both appear in this story and lend a hand or two when needed. However, the investigation is all on the two older women and told from their viewpoints. While Rose has been studying to become a licensed PI in the future and guides their steps and interviews, Annie was personally involved with the victim back in the day, provided background details, and can interpret some of the clues. The pair gets off on the wrong foot with each other at their first meeting, so their collaboration is sometimes uneasy and uncomfortable initially. I liked how they secretly acknowledged their antipathy toward the other but still managed to work together successfully and loved watching them gain confidence with each other and eventually become friends. Annie also has quite a surprise waiting when the two women are menaced by one of the bad guys. BEST. SCENE. EVER.

The case itself is from the early 1960s, and I enjoyed Annie’s occasional flashbacks to that time and place when she was a young woman in love. The author creates ample and opposing angles for their investigation and how the victim may have run into trouble, hence, the twelve suspects of the title. Each possible avenue of investigation was intriguing and followed plausible lines of inquiry, with some clues coming to light after twists in the plot. Yet, with the plethora of suspects available, it was still easy to keep them all separate and sorted without confusion. The strong subplots made for an intriguingly robust and complex mystery in a compact length.

I recommend THE TWELVE SUSPECTS OF CHRISTMAS to cozy mystery readers who enjoy stories with a culinary theme, books set in France or Provence, and fans of the original series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

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Book Review: Death on Dickens Island (Books on the Beach Mystery, #1) by Allison Brook

Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A solid mystery entwined with family drama and a surprising paranormal element.

Death on Dickens Island is the first book in author Allison Brook’s cozy new Books on the Beach Mystery series and is an absorbing mix of mystery and family drama, with a surprising paranormal element. With its multiple compelling storylines and relatable characters, this complex and satisfying tale had me firmly in its clutches from the very start.

Delia Dickens had returned to Dickens Island to help her father with the family general store and try to build a stronger relationship with Connor, the son who had grown up with her parents while she established her career in the city. Delia felt she had fumbled the ball with Connor, as her demanding job and early, ongoing difficulties finding safe childcare had prevented her from keeping him by her side. Her mother and father had been a godsend, stepping in when childcare had repeatedly failed and soon became the answer to providing a consistent and nurturing environment while Delia earned them a living. Connor, now fifteen, was having a hard time forgiving, forgetting, and just adjusting to living with his mother full-time again.

Delia and Connor were not the only ones experiencing family drama on Dickens Island. When Delia decided to move back home and into the house left to her by her grandmother, her mother took the opportunity to move into Delia’s Manhattan apartment for a little “Me” self-care time away from her husband and the island community that soon stretched into months, with no firm end date in sight. Additionally, her Uncle Brad and Aunt Reenie, an island councilman and the town manager, were publicly at odds with each other over town council business and the unusually keen attentions of a flirtatious single councilwoman. But when the problem councilwoman is found murdered in her home, the stakes get even higher as both Brad and Reenie suddenly become suspects in her death.

Delia has her hands full trying to reconnect with her teenage son as a full-time mom, and I didn’t envy her the task of mollifying her dad with his constant requests that she convince her aunt and uncle to reconcile. Awkward. I was glad she was able to fulfill his request without aggressively meddling in something she was aware was none of her business. She had her own struggles, including the reappearance of her old high school sweetheart in her life.

The plot is complex, to say the least, with multiple storylines, all clamoring for attention. The author does a stellar job establishing each one and entwining them so well. There’s a friendly stray dog who comes into their life at just the right time, Connor’s treasure hunting dreams with his friend, Trevor, who has a bad reputation and a worse homelife rounding out the picture, and a hidden room in Delia’s house with an even more unexpected visitor: her dearly departed Grandmother Helena with questions of her own and, perhaps, the answers to long-held island secrets.

I liked how Delia finally stood up to her father about her purpose at the store, and he was able to see her side pretty quickly. Of course, her addition of a book nook to the general store was an attractive one to me. Delia is a thoughtful, contemplative woman, and she takes the time to analyze her feelings for Jack and the best approaches to take with her wayward family members. I enjoyed how the storylines converged, some leading to clues that solved several mysteries and to the resolution of both a decades-old disappearance and the present-day murder.

I recommend DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories full of family drama, New York/Long Island-ish settings, and paranormal elements.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.


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Book Review: Lost Sisters (Ryder Nguyen Mystery, #1) by David Marshall Hunt

Lost Sisters by David Marshall Hunt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lost Sisters has an intriguing plot with an engaging main character, but a confusing timeline prevents it from really shining.

Ryder Nguyen, the adopted daughter of Gulf shore shrimpers, had been mesmerized by the exploits of John D. MacDonald’s famed Florida sleuth, Travis McGee, her entire adolescence. Her obsession ultimately led to a college major in criminal justice while continuing to crew on her family’s shrimp boats during her off time. Finding her soulmate in fellow Travis McGee fan and adjunct professor USAF Captain Slater Jackson, they fell in love and together formed their own private investigations firm, Slater & Ryder. 

A major cold case comes their way through one of Slater’s fellow pilots, Captain Tracy Billings, the great-granddaughter of one of the wealthiest men in Florida. Eight years earlier, her younger sister, Augusta, had gone missing from their massive and well-protected Florida estate, but the case had quickly gone cold when nary a trace of the ten-year-old was ever uncovered. 

Ryder, too, has unanswered questions about her own past. Abandoned on the steps of a community medical facility in Thailand, the only clue to her identity was a locket with a picture of a young girl and an infant inside. As tragedy strikes closer to home, Ryder can only forge ahead with the Billings cold case and try to seek out any information she can about her unknown origins.

Lost Sisters is the first book in author David Marshall Hunt's new mystery series featuring fledgling private investigator Ryder Nguyen, the half-American and half (presumably) Vietnamese adopted daughter of a Gulf Coast shrimping family. With its intriguing premise of reopening a cold-case kidnapping of a Florida millionaire's great-granddaughter paired with Ryder's look into her own murky origins, the book has great promise as a thrilling debut for the series. However, a confusing timeline, repetitive exposition, and a tendency to toss in people, items, and events before some necessary preamble hampers its success. Still, I enjoyed the story and was satisfied with what I read, even though I had to work for it.

Besides the premise, I found Ryder's narrative engaging; I was interested in her as a character and hoped for her success. Her hazy origins were intriguing, and her ultimate push to find the woman she thought might be an older sister compelled me to keep turning pages. I absolutely enjoyed reading about the Nguyen family's backstory and shrimping business. I could easily read an entire book devoted to just their lives, livelihood, and their experiences dealing with lessening their environmental footprint and putting up with ill-informed critics. I liked the story of Ryder's tugboat home/office; however, there are continuity issues with her possession of it. Initially, the owner tells her there'll be no rent and discusses and agrees to a name change for the ship to Ryder's Quest. Yet later, she complains that her landlord is increasing the rent and refers to her home as "Tugboat." Similarly, there are some inconsistencies with when she actually meets Tracy.

The references to John D. MacDonald and his famous "salvage consultant," Travis McGee, were fun, and I liked how the author used the influence her love of the series had on Ryder's future, such as her career choice, ethical considerations, and surprising connection it will create with her future husband. Slater is in the novel for only a brief period, and while I like the idea of Ryder having this ill-fated romance and its long-term ramifications, their relationship builds, taking up quite a bit of time early on, but too quickly becomes an afterthought. Yes, there is an obvious reason Slater is no longer in the story; however, it's almost as if he was never there, except for a certain complication.

I think the story would benefit from a little cleanup and reworking of the timelines, but I will be following this author so I can purchase the next book in the series. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Ryder or what looks like might become her motley collection of employees and contacts. I recommend LOST SISTERS to mystery readers looking for a fresh and unique new private eye series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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