Mystery Book Club at the Ligonier Valley Library

"Murder, Mystery and Mayhem" Book Discussion Group

Reader's Choice Christmas Party
December 9, 2007

The Killing Floor by Lee Child (4 - Stars) - reviewed by Rose
Ex-MP Jack Reacher goes into action to find his brother's killers, after a series of brutal crimes terrorizes tiny Margrave, Georgia, only to uncover the dark and deadly conspiracy concealed behind the town's peaceful facade.
Die Trying by Lee Child (4 - Stars) - reviewed by Rose
Former military policeman Jack Reacher is abducted on the streets of a Chicago suburb, along with a woman and a dentist, by two mysterious men.

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (3 - Stars) - reviewed by Kathy
Harper Connelly, a young woman possessing the ability to uncover the final location of a recently deceased individual and to share their last moments, aided by her manager and stepbrother Tolliver, uses her skill to find the dead.

Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series by Donna Leon (4 - Stars for series) - reviewed by Janet H.
Set in modern day Italy, the series follows Commissario Brunetti as he deals with assorted crimes and criminals, his family and life in the City of Venice.

Mrs. Malory : Death of a Dean by Hazel Holt (3 - Stars) - reviewed by Louise
In England, the dean of a cathedral is poisoned while having tea. Suspicion centers on his wife, who had to put up with his affairs, and on a brother wanting to sell family property which the dean opposed. Or did his death have something to do with church finances? Mrs. Malory, a friend of the family, investigates.

Eye of the Horus by Carol Thurston (3 - Stars) - reviewed by Linnea
Using the latest in modern forensic technology, medical illustrator Kate McKinnon uncovers the secrets of a disturbing female mummy uncovered in Egypt.

Splendor in the Glass by Tamar Myers (-4 - Stars) - reviewed by Emma
Antiques dealer Abby Timberlake Washburn is delighted when Mrs. Amelia Shadbark, one of the leading lights of Charleston society, invites her to handle the sale of a valuable collection of Lalique glass sculpture, but her new job takes a lethal turn when Mrs. Shadbark is found murdered and Abby becomes the prime suspect in the crime.

Crocodile on the Sandbanks (bk. 1) by Elizabeth Peters (3 - Stars) - reviewed by Janet S.
On the death of her father, Victorian heiress Amelia Peabody travels Egypt to indulge her interest in Egyptology. She travels with Evelyn Barton-Forbes and her trusty parasol which comes in handy on more than one occasion. In Cairo the pair meet archaeologists Radcliffe and Walter Emerson and sparks fly between Radcliffe and Amelia. The groups meet again at Emerson's excavation where Amelia saves Radcliffe's life and takes charge of his precious archaeological site. The four then band together to discover why the locals will no longer report to work and to try to find a missing mummy who walks the night. An historical mystery with amusing repartee between a strong-willed Amelia and an equally pigheaded Radcliffe in an exotic setting and time. Readers may also enjoy the racy Regency romances of Amanda Quick for the same type of verbal sparring, or the archaeology mysteries of Aaron Elkins.
Tomb of the Golden Bird (bk. 18) by Elizabeth Peters (3 - Stars) - reviewed by Janet S.
In 1922, as her husband Radcliffe Emerson unsuccessfully tries to persuade his rival Howard Carter to turn over digging rights in the Valley of the Kings to him, Amelia Peabody and her family head for Luxor to search for the long-lost tomb of King Tut.

Meow is for Murder by Linda O. Johnston (4 - Stars) - reviewed by Carol
Kendra Ballantyne has her life back on track. Her license to practice law has been rightfully restored. She's dating Jeff Hubbard, the foxiest P.I. in L.A. Best of all, she's still moonlighting as a pet-sitter. Then Jeff's vixon of an ex-wife, Amanda, asks for help avoiding her stalker. When the stalker turns up dead in Amanda's home, she makes Kendra an offer she can't refuse: solve the case, and Amanda will take her claws out of Jeff for good.

Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs (4 - Stars for book and series) - reviewed by Georgia
When her delectable spread for socialite Delaine Dish's charity Candelight Concert is interrupted by the killing of ex-CEO and beloved local politician Duke Wilkes, tea shop proprietor Theodosia Browning is asked by the victim's widow to uncover the truth about the crime, but her investigation soon leads her into the middle of a case involving corruption, dirty dealings, and revenge.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (4-Stars) - reviewed by Kim
"These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests. Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth."

Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark (3-Stars) - reviewed by Linda
Lottery winner-turned-amateur sleuth Alvirah Meehan joins with private detective Regan Reilly to track down the ninety-foot tree, destined for display in Rockefeller Center, that vanished en route to the city.

The Note (a Hallmark Channel movie) (4-Stars) - reviewed by Peg
A note is found in a life jacket at the site of a plane crash. Columnist Peyton MacGruder, who needs to write a story with real heart or lose her column, discovers the note and begins a journey to find the recipient. Along the way, she makes a personal discovery of her own.

The Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry (1-Stars) - reviewed by Rita
Spending his Christmas holidays on the remote island of Anglesey, off the north coast of Wales, Superintendent Runcorn is called in to investigate when the sister of the local vicar is found murdered and draped over a gravestone in her brother's churchyard.

RATINGS: 1-5 Stars (5 being the best)

Book Descriptions mainly from NoveList