Southern Mystery Done Right

Who says life ends when you're sixty? Not the case for Mary Alice and her often reluctant sister, Patricia Anne in this cozy mystery by Anne George...

Retired school teacher Patricia Anne is happy being a housewife... making applesauce, cookies, and taking care of her husband, Fred. This all changes when her often eccentric sister, Mary Alice buys a western night club called the Boot'n Skoot and promptly tells Patricia she wants her help. Travelling to the boot themed night club, the sisters meet the owner, a nice middle aged man named Ed, who can make his hula girl tattoo dance. Patricia isn't exactly ready to start line dancing into the act, but her sister basically volunteers her to help with the set up. It isn't until they find Ed murdered that things get really really weird and Patricia Alice starts playing private eye.

Truly, this is a great book. Miss George makes you fall in love with her characters from the get go and anyone who has ever spent time in the South will laugh out loud at how well she captures the Down South lifestyle. As mysteries go, it kept me guessing right up to the end and spun each web at the right time, not giving too much away. Easily read, there is very little graphic nature in this book or vulgar language so most anyone can read it. As for the age of the characters being a factor, I am in my thirties and I thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover.

So... sit down with a cup of hot tea and join the Southern sisters in their first mystery... I promise you will come back for more.

Spider? Check. Assassin? Check.

Fascination with spiders? Assassins? Or do you just need a good romp to get your heart pumping? All the above are here in this great book from Jennifer Estep. Gin, named after the liquor, is the Spider, an assassin known for her patience and cold hearted nature. She is beautiful, clever, and deadly.

When hired to do a seamlessly easy job that will give her enough money to retire, she and her handler jumped at it. Still, Gin's gut churns with uneasiness and in a matter of minutes, her entire world is turned upside down with betrayal, loss, and a strange alliance even she doesn't see coming.

Without giving away the entire plot, I believe this is a great book for anyone who loves good action, a wonderful plot, and of course, a strong female character. Her character voices are their own and not carbon copies of one another. Even those you meet for a short time, keep your attention and you are sad to see them pass on. The plot lends enough to your imagination without giving too much away keeping your interest, clues dropped indiscreetly as you weave around her web with ease.

For the romantic, there is a little for you, though in the first book, she concentrates on delivering a well rounded introduction to the people you will deal with further in the series. Gore is kept to a minimum, but there are some more graphic intimate scenes not for the younger or more sensitive crowds. As a whole, I give this book five stars. Best enjoyed with a cup of red wine or a hot cup of coffee...