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We Solve Murders

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We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Sometimes I need a fun crime thriller or caper for escapist reading. This first book in a new series by Osman is just the ticket. While different from his Thursday Murder Club mysteries, fans of one series may enjoy the other. To begin with, Amy Wheeler and her father-in-law Steve are the good guys. Steve is a widowed ex-cop with a cat named Trouble. He lives in the English town of Axley where he walks to a favorite park bench every day to talk with Debbie, his late wife. Then there is lunch at the pub, where Tony can diagnose the problems with his car’s clutch, and quiz night once a week. He has just located a missing dog. There are frequent texts and regular chats with Amy, a bodyguard, and less frequent texts with his son Adam, currently en route to Dubai.

Amy is guarding longtime bestselling writer Rosie D’Antonio on her private island off the coast of South Carolina. Recently, three couriers have died, all with ties to Maximum Impact, the security company owned by Jeff, Amy’s boss, and to a small public relations firm in England. One of the deaths happened off the coast of South Carolina, and Amy learns that she’s a suspect. When she’s not sure who to trust, she asks Steve for help. At first reluctant to travel, Steve finds that he enjoys private plane rides, and the action moves to St. Lucia, Dublin, Dubai, and the New Forest in England. Pubs, posh restaurants, airports, golf courses and spas are all featured here. Steve and Amy make connections, ask questions, are occasionally in danger, and along with Rosie, are vastly entertaining. A movie actor, another security guard, and a caddy all help them figure out who’s responsible for the crime wave. Adam also gets to help, but is a minor character here. In the end, loose ends are tied up and the reader finally emerges back into the real world, refreshed.

Steve and Amy decide they will work together to solve mysteries, and Rosie may have located a missing cat. The Marseille Caper and The Corsican Caper by Peter Mayle are readalikes.

Brenda

Funny Story

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Funny Story by Emily Henry

This is a big, funny, contemporary romance with lots of ups and downs. Daphne has moved to northern Michigan with her fiancé, Peter. She’s a children’s librarian and loves her work, but her salary is rather small. After his bachelor party Peter dumps Daphne for his best friend since childhood, Petra. Also, they want Daphne to please move out of Peter’s house in one week! Where to move on short notice? Conveniently, Petra’s ex-boyfriend, Miles, has a spare bedroom.

A friendship forms and they take fake romantic photos for social media to get back at Peter and Petra. Daphne also makes friends with her coworker Ashleigh, a single mom. About the time Miles’ sister Julia comes to town, sparks flame up between Miles and Daphne. Both have major family issues, Peter with his mom and Daphne with her dad. Then Daphne’s dad comes to visit, with Starfire. Daphne blows off Ashleigh’s birthday and an online interview with a library in Maryland near her mother goes very well. Then it’s time for Daphne’s big library fundraiser for the children’s department, months in the planning, an all-night readathon. In the end, all is well, with almost everyone fairly happy. A compelling read; readalikes include novels by Abbi Waxman, Kate Clayborn, and Sarah Dubb. I enjoyed the northern Michigan setting, including Traverse City, which I just re-visited on vacation.

Brenda

Penric and the Bandit

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Penric and the Bandit by Lois McMaster Bujold

In this fun fantasy/adventure novella, Penric kin Jurald is on vacation, searching for an abandoned temple where there might be hidden treasure. Horse thief Roz decides to tag along with Penric to get a share of the treasure, if any. He is trying to escape from his former gang of thieves. Thievery is fine with Roz, but he doesn’t have a stomach for violence.

When Roz’s gang catches up, Penric turns out to be a tougher mark than expected, as he is a sorcerer with a demon, and also a religious scholar. The temple is extremely hard to reach and Roz has plenty of time to consider what his priorities are during a long standoff. Everyone but Penric and his demon Desdemona are disappointed with the treasure, when it’s uncovered.

I enjoyed the journey and how Penric did his best to get out of a very tricky situation. The Penric and Desdemona novellas begins with Penric’s Demon, which is also in a collection called Penric’s Progress.

Brenda

Birding With Benefits

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Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

This is such a fun debut romance, and I really appreciate that the couple on the cover are both around 40. Celeste is a middle school language arts teacher. Her daughter Morgan is an amazing artist and a high school senior, though she keeps putting off her college entrance paperwork. Celeste’s ex-husband, Peter, didn’t appreciate her exuberant personality. Her best friend Maria is a brand-new mom. Always trying new hobbies, Celeste meets Chris at a sip and paint event, decorating little teapots.

Chris, who studies snails, connects Celeste with his best friend John, who needs a partner and a fake date for a birding event. The event turns out to be a six-week birding competition in the Tucson area for experienced birders. John would like to start guiding new birders and winning the competition would really help him jumpstart his business. Currently he’s a part-time woodworker. Improbably (but predictably), they agree to partner for the event, and Celeste gradually learns to be a birder. After sparks fly, they decide to be birders with benefits and make out in a closet during a party.

Later on, there are some steamy sex scenes for Celeste and John, but their arrangement is planned to end with the competition. When one of the pair wants a regular relationship, the other one gets cold feet. Celeste also has some parenting issues to cope with, and John worries that he’s not ambitious enough for Celeste.

Sweet, sexy, and funny, with realistic conflicts and characters. The author lives in Tucson, writes under a pen name, and is a birder and librarian. She’s happily under contract for two more books. A readalike author is Emily Henry.

Brenda

A Daughter of Fair Verona

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A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this historical rom com, set 20 years after the events of Romeo & Juliet. In this version, Romeo and Juliet have a different ending, and are raising a family in Verona. Oldest child Rosaline is almost 20 and still unmarried. She’s had a few fiancés, but has matched them with other young ladies. Then Duke Stephano, widowed multiple times, encounters Rosie and wants to marry her, even without a dowry. Rosie is enamored of fair Lysander, who climbs into the Montague compound with a special ladder, and they have a few humorous encounters. Then there’s the scarred Prince Escalus, who’s raising his young sister, Princess Isabelle. Rosie’s whole family likes Isabelle, and she enjoys their lively and boisterous household, with loving parents. Many women are attracted to Romeo, but he only has eyes for his Juliet, who is pregnant, again. Romeo still has a temper, as does Rosie.

Rosie spends time at the apothecary shop run by Friar Laurence, escorted by her formidable Nurse. They all go to the scene when a young man is poisoned, and later find another apothecary dead. Rosie is soon suspected of murder and needs to clear her name lest she be sent to a nunnery, so she investigates. The investigation makes this novel a mystery, but it’s mostly a family story set in Verona with some romance and quite a lot of humor. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, and look forward to a planned sequel. The recipe for Juliet’s fruit and nut bread is available on the author’s website, here.

Brenda

The Husbands

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The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

Londoner Lauren is a little drunk after Elena’s hen party, and is very startled to find a strange man on the stair landing of her duplex. The man turns out to be her husband, Michael. Her flat looks a bit different than she remembers and the fridge is stocked with grapefruit water. Neighbor Toby knows Michael, but Lauren is single. She fakes a cold and Michael sleeps in the spare room. When he goes up to the attic to replace a light bulb, a different husband comes down. Lauren’s attic seems to have a supply of husbands! This is a completely ridiculous plot, but makes for a fun, compelling summer read.

Lauren is sure of a few things. She is friends with Toby and Elena. Her sister Natalie is married with two little kids. But when a new husband comes downstairs to the flat, there are changes, like the paint color, art work, or furniture in their flat. And sometimes other things are different. One husband is very cross; she has trouble getting him back in the attic. Jason is very nice, but her job has completely changed. Lauren learns to look at photos and messages on her phone to see if she likes her life, her job, and her relationships. Sometimes Lauren doesn’t like herself at all, and neither does the reader. Often, she calls off sick from work or buys things not in her budget, because everything will reset the next time. Then a couple of exes come back. Is Lauren the only one with an attic like that? I wondered why she doesn’t move away. Will she ever find what she’s looking for?

After a while, Lauren gets desperate and makes some very bad choices. But finally, she learns from her experiences and the ending is unexpected and dramatic. This book is hard to put down and would make a great movie, with lots of cameo parts for men. Try reading this novel and not talking about it; I certainly couldn’t. The author is from Australia and lives in London. A game designer, this is her first novel. I’m fascinated to see what she writes next.

Brenda

How to Age Disgracefully

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How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

I liked Pooley’s book The Authenticity Project and enjoyed a recent book discussion of Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, so I was eager to read this British novel with an ensemble cast.

Daphne is turning 70 and rarely leaves her apartment. A dog named Maggie Thatcher needs a new home, or homes. Ziggy is a teen dad to toddler Kylie. Lydia, struggling with hot flashes at 54, starts a part-time job at a London community center, leading a new social club for seniors. Art, a bit actor is bored, and brings his photographer friend William along. Ruby knits and knits. When the community center needs expensive repairs, the local council considers selling the building to developers. The senior club and the daycare, along with a group of pregnant women and people in recovery all band together to try and save the building. There is an unusual joint nativity play, some clever yarn bombing, and Maggie Thatcher is entered into a competition on a TV show. The seniors also trail Lydia’s husband, deal with Ziggy’s local bully, and find lost family members, as well as uncover Daphne’s very big secret. This is a funny, moving, and entertaining read with bighearted and realistic middle-aged and older characters.

Brenda

The Guncle Abroad

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The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

I loved reading The Guncle, and looked forward to reading more about Gay Uncle Patrick and his niece Maisie and nephew Grant, but sequels aren’t always as satisfying. This one is a winner. The settings are different, and the story is set five years later. It’s a vivid, bittersweet, joyous, funny, and engaging read.

Patrick takes his niece and nephew to Europe for a vacation before their father Greg’s upcoming marriage to Livia, an Italian marchesa. Maisie and Grant are now 14 and 11, and not as adoring of Uncle Patrick. They meet him in London, where Patrick is finishing up filming a movie. The kids get to visit the movie set, which they enjoy. Then they visit Paris, Austria for scenes from The Sound of Music, and then Venice, before traveling to a fancy hotel overlooking Italy’s Lake Como for the wedding festivities. The children want Patrick to talk his brother out of getting married, while Patrick tries to show them different aspects of love. He is jealous of the children’s connection to Palmina, Livia’s sister.

Patrick is 49, acting again, and single after a five-year relationship. He tries to share his wisdom with the kids, and strives to always be witty, funny, and the center of attention. The European setting is amazing, and the kids are great characters. There are a few cringey moments among the bittersweet and funny ones, with a surprise ending. If you liked The Guncle, this is a fine follow-up.

Brenda

Earls Trip

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Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

In this Regency era rom-com, two earls and a viscount who have been friends since their days at school take a fortnight’s holiday together every summer. Archie, Simon, and Effie are on their way to a ruined castle in Cumbria in North West England, although it’s been a challenge to get them all together this year. A messenger on horseback finds their carriage and tells them that Sir Albert Morgan needs their help. The Morgans are neighbors of Archie, and Clementine and Olive were his childhood friends. Apparently, Olive is eloping to Scotland with Mr. Bull and Clementine, dressed in men’s clothing, has gone after them. Clementine had recently called off her engagement to Mr. Bull.

The humorous adventure is on, as Archie, Simon, and Effie track down Clementine, Olive, and Mr. Bull at an inn. The rescue does not go smoothly, and Clementine and Olive end up travelling with the three friends to their rented castle. Once there, the sisters keep different hours and take their meals separately from the men, especially as Clementine has become a vegetarian. Of course, Archie finds that he wants to spend more time with Clementine, and there are definite sparks, though Clementine doesn’t want to ever marry. This is a funny and charming romance with an unlikely plot and quirky characters. There is also a racing turtle named Hermes. A sequel is planned for next year: Manic Pixie Dream Earl.

Brenda

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley

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The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

This contemporary novel covers one year in the life of Chicago University researcher Isadora. The setting sounds like the University of Chicago. On her 30th birthday, Isadora stocks up on junk food, soda, and a magazine with an article titled “31 Ways to Be Happy Today!”. So far, her life hasn’t been happy. She loves her job, but that’s pretty much her life. Her apartment is very bland, and she mostly eats frozen dinners. Her mother may be a narcissist, and has never stood up for Isadora. Isadora sets out to prove that the article is wrong, and that the 31 steps will not lead to happiness.

First, after practicing in a mirror, she smiles at Marty, an older man sitting on a nearby bench. They end up meeting regularly for lunch on the bench. Isadora, very reluctantly, agrees to her assignment to help psychologist Cal organize his research project. Cal is, of course, handsome. Then Isadora meets her neighbor Darby, whose husband Dante cooks amazing Italian food, and goes to Saturday morning yoga with her. Yoga is decidedly not fun, but she encounters some nice people, including the instructor. Darby and Dante have four kids; 3 little boys and 10-year-old Delilah. Delilah likes quiet and shows up at Isadora’s apartment with a lunch box and a book, and turns out to be a kindred spirit, although one who can also pick locks.

The plot is somewhat predictable but the story is as appealing as cherry pie, and includes a gentle romance. A very funny scene has Isadora burning her grudges in her fireplace. She learns to forgive herself, tell off her ex-boyfriend, and go on adventures with Cal. Isadora is realistically scared to open herself up to connection with her new friends, worried about being hurt again. The final scene is her birthday, one year later. An engaging read.

Brenda