Book Review: Murder at Pirate's Cove (Secrets and Scrabble) by Josh Lanyon

Murder at Pirate's Cove is the first book in the Secrets and Scrabble series by Josh Lanyon. Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion, and guy-with-worst-luck-in-the-world-when-it-comes-to-dating, is ready to make a change. So when he learns he’s inherited both a failing bookshop and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove in Rhode Island, it’s full steam ahead! Sure enough, the village is charming, its residents amusingly eccentric, and widowed police chief Jack Carson is decidedly yummy (though possibly as straight as he is stern). However, the bookstore is failing, the mansion is falling down, and there’s that little drawback of finding rival bookseller—and head of the unwelcoming-committee—Trevor Maples dead during the annual Buccaneer Days celebration.  Still, it could be worse. And once Police Chief Carson learns Trevor was killed with the cutlass hanging over the door of Ellery’s bookstore, it is. 

Murder at Pirate's Cove is a cozy mystery that grabbed me from the start. I liked Ellery as a character, he is smart and thoughtful with a curious mind and the ability to admit his mistakes. I did think the blurb was a little misleading, since he is a Scrabble player but that only plays a minimal role in the story, although I think it will mean more as the series continues. I liked the set up, and thought the characters and town building was well paced and well done. The mystery was layered with plenty of twists, and I liked the way it was built and revealed in small portions to keep interest and attention. I did not want to step away from the book at any point during the read, wanting to see how things would play out in the next moment. I am interested to see where the series goes from here, and if the promised connections continue to grow in the future. 

Murder at Pirate's Cove is an engaging read and I look forward to continuing the series. 

Early Book Review: Death on the Page (Castle Bookshop Mystery) by Essie Lang

Death on the Page is the second Castle Bookshop Mystery by Essie Lang. I would recommend reading this series in order, to fully understand the set up and relationships. However, I do think a determined read could catch up even without the prior knowledge. This book is currently scheduled for release on March 10 2020. 

There are a thousand stories in New York's scenic Thousand Islands, and Bayside Books co-owner Shelby Cox stocks them all. But lately, the Blye Island bookseller's life is more about investigation than inventory. True-crime writer Savannah Page caps off two successful signings at Bayside Books with a night in Blye Castle. She's there to research Joe Cabana, a colorful Prohibition-era mobster who owned the castle--until he was found dead in the island Grotto. But crime becomes all too true for Savannah. Her body turns up the next morning, in a secret passage at the bottom of the stairs. The last thing Shelby Cox wants is to sleuth another murder, but she's intrigued about how a killer could have reached the island after hours. She's not at a lack for suspects either. It could have been anyone from Savannah's fiancé, Liam Kennelly, who argued with her the evening before, to island caretaker Matthew Kessler, recently cleared of his wife's murder. Can Shelby keep regular store hours, elude the police chief, and assemble the clues into a hard-bound case without getting permanently shelved?

Death on the Page is a book that I should have loved, it checked off all the boxes for mysteries I usually enjoy. The characters are well defined and interesting, the mystery is solid with a few good twists, and as a whole it never takes itself to seriously. I liked Shelby's inherent kindness and interest in those around her and her determination to do the right thing. I liked that while there is a touch of romance- it never takes over the plot. I liked that there were secondary characters and suspects introduced and expanded on. I like that I got to know returning characters better and that I could understand the reasoning and motives of the major players. I did have an inkling of who was the big bad, but the reveal was very well done nd rather unexpected. However, I just never found myself compelled to get back to reading or wondering what was going to happen next. Perhaps I just was not in the mood to read a mystery or this author's writing style and I just do not match up. There was nothing in the story that bothered me or did not work, I just could not get fully engaged in the story. 

Death on the Page is a well written mystery, and I think fans of the first book will really enjoy the read. 

Book Review: The Cat of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery) by Vicki Delany

The Cat of the Baskervilles is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series by Vicki Delany. While reading the series in order gives readers a better grasp of characters, and their dynamics in the small town, I think that newcomers to the series could enjoy this book almost as much as those that have read the first book in the series.

Legendary stage and movie star Sir Nigel Bellingham arrives on Cape Cod to star in a stage production of The Hound of the Baskervilles put on by the West London Theater Festival. When Sir Nigel, some of the cast, and the director visit the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop at 222 Baker Street, Gemma Doyle realizes that Sir Nigel is not at all suited to the role. He is long past his prime and an old drunk to boot. The cast, in particular the much younger actor who previously had the role, are not happy, but the show must go on. Before the play opens, Leslie Wilson, mother of Gemma’s best friend Jayne, arranges a fundraising afternoon tea to be catered by Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room. The tea is a huge success, but when it’s time to leave, Sir Nigel has gone missing—only to be found at the bottom of the rocky cliff, dead. Along with the dead body, Gemma finds evidence incriminating Leslie Wilson. When the police, in the presence of handsome detective Ryan Ashburton and suspicious detective Louise Estrada, focus their attention on Leslie despite the numerous other suspects, the game is once again afoot and it’s again up to the highly perceptive Gemma and Jayne to clear Jayne’s mother’s name.

The Cat of the Baskervilles is a thoroughly entertaining read. I did feel like there was a little more build up before the death of Nigel than I really expected, however the groundwork laid in those chapters was important for the rest of the book. It just made the start feel a little sluggish for me. I enjoyed Gemma's personality and character, as I always do, because she stays true to form and focused on the tasks at hand, or at least those most pressing in her mind. I also liked that friendships and relationships ran as an undercurrent, effecting the story but never overwhelming the plot or pacing once the book really got moving.The twists and story elements surrounding Jayne and her mother were a well evolved story line and I thought it was handled perfectly. I found the final reveal to be very well done, and am glad to say that I was unsure of the culprit until it was laid out for me. There were a ton of secrets and plot elements, but despite the sheer volume of details, it never felt overwhelming or like anything was a red herring or tossed in on a whim, which sometimes happens when this volume of details are at play.

The Cat of the Baskervilles is just as entertaining and full of twists and turns as the first book in the series. I enjoyed the read and will be following this series as it continues.