Review: Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mysteries, #1)

Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mysteries, #1) by Sheila Connolly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A new series by one of my favorite authors Sheila Connolly, a little mystery, a little history and a little genealogy. The heroine of the series Kate Hamilton is a hotelier in Baltimore when a childhood friend asks her to help "save" their hometown. Sheila paints a picture of a small town who's best days may be behind it unless it can be re-imagined. The old 1800 mansion the town recently acquired figures prominently in Kate's revitalization plan for the town and her life.

Best yet, my favorite character Nell Pratt and the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society from Sheila's Museum Mysteries series is called upon to help sort out some historical finds at the Henry Barton estate. Whether the treasures inside the estate will be enough to save the town only future books will tell.

Unfortunately, Kate and the police first have to solve who killed Kate's high school nemesis at the Barton estate.

Review: Hardcore Twenty-Four

Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think this may be the Plum saga's jumping the shark book. I'm not sure which irritates me more, Stephanie pumping her own gas or the lack of character in this book. Ms Evanovich has lived in New Hampshire too long, she has forgotten Jersey Girls NEVER pump gas. This in NJ where it is blessedly illegal to pump gas. [Seriously, it is 7 degrees out, why in Gods name would anyone want to get out of their car to fill up?]

Years ago when the first three books were out, my friend's teenager and her girlfriends wanted to read the series. Their parents wanted to know if the series were appropriate for the girls, I said yes. The books were light and laugh out loud funny. Stephanie was working in a new field, taking the advice from a great mentor who was super sexy. She had an on again/off again relationship with a high school flame who had a good job and was super sexy. Unfortunately in the 20 books since Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli have had little character growth. Meanwhile that teenager has become a lovely woman, married and about to have her 1st baby. Where I used to purchase the book and read the Plum books the day they came out, I have lately been borrowing them from the library. Now I'm at the point, I'll read the reviews, if it looks like the characters have finally grown [adding Diesel doesn't count, he should go back to his own series] I'll consider reading Plum again.

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