As I mentioned in my last email, I’ve been reading several mysteries lately–some for fun, some for review purposes for publishers. Today, I wanted to share my (albeit brief!) reviews on a couple I’ve read recently. Oddly enough, both books are actually second-in-series books. I haven’t read the first in the Branigan Powers series, but I had read the first (novella) in the Maple Syrup Mysteries series.
The Cover Story by Deb Richardson-Moore:
I was given a copy of this mystery by Kregel Publishing for review, so I took it along on my vacation. While I didn’t manage to finish reading it there (it does require some focus; not a super-light read), I did complete it once I got home. Here’s my Goodreads review:
This was an interesting mystery and one with some unique twists. I was glad for the inclusion of the homeless as part of the storyline. For some reason, I found myself wishing I could get into Branigan’s head a bit more and I always felt a bit distanced from her as the lead sleuth and in her interactions with others, so for that reason, I did knock off a star. Thanks to Kregel/Lion Hudson for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
So to sum it up, I did have some trouble relating to the main character, and for me, character is so important. I did enjoy the southern details, though!
A Sticky Inheritance by Emily James:
I’d read the first (prequel) book in this series, Sapped, because I got it free when I signed up for the author’s newsletter. I liked the tone of the story (clean), as well as the main character, Nikki. Here’s my review of the second book (Book 1 of the Maple Syrup Mysteries, set in small-town Michigan):
4.5 stars, simply because there were several times Nikki’s inability to put two and two together (for a lawyer) seemed to be stretching it, although let’s be honest, nearly every mystery out there will require at least one or two moments of suspended disbelief. But I am firmly hooked on this series, and I really enjoy the maple syrup and small-town aspects of it. Will be buying other books in the series, for sure, to see which adventures Nikki stumbles into next.
So I really enjoy this series because I do like the main character–I like the glimpses we get as to what makes her tick (it’s like she’s finding out more about herself, even as we do). I’m planning to read this whole series.
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