A Tiding of Magpies, by Steve Burrows (Dundurn Press, 2018) This time, DCI Dominic Jejeune (a Canadian working in England) and his team work to solve a local murder while he’s involved in an investigative review of the high profile case that launched his career. Jejeune is not the only one with regrets about that case… or with a suspicion all might not have been as it seemed. I’m really enjoying the Birder Murder Mystery series. Each book has a strong sense of place, engaging characters with depth, clever turns of phrase, and complex crimes. The characters and plots keep me thinking about the ..read more

Renaissance, by Susan Fish (Raven, 2023) First things first: this cover, on the paperback held in my hand, is absolutely gorgeous. The golden light (especially on the grass), the huge tree, the stone wall and clouds. It speaks rest to me, and warmth. The story also brings rest. Evocative prose draws us into Liz’s struggles and into the beautiful Italian setting. If you haven’t (yet) experienced any mid-life reshapings of your identity, you’ve likely felt the hurt of being left out, misunderstood, or betrayed. This is literary women’s fiction with an almost languid feel to it… never boring, ju ..read more

The Divine Proverb of Streusel, by Sara Brunsvold (Revell, 2024) Sometimes when life hurts, you run away. Even from the people you love. Nikki has so much going for her: a solid faith, a loving mom and sister, a good friend at the school where she teaches, and a caring guy who’s been talking about rings. But second-hand news of her unfaithful father’s remarriage—so soon after the divorce that bankrupted her mother—leaves her unable to face any of them. She flees to the one untouched memory of safety: her paternal grandparents’ home in rural Missouri, now owned by her bachelor uncle, Wes. Wes ..read more

A Shimmer of Hummingbirds, by Steve Burrows (Dundurn, 2017) “The cold lay across the land like a punishment.” How’s that for an opening line to set the scene? In this classic mystery, the cold land is coastal northern England in December. When readers start getting too vicariously chilly, the next chapter will take us to the heat of Colombia. Not only is there a murder for the local British constabulary to solve, but Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune has left the country. After a rival is brought in to replace him—one who appears easier to work with—will Jejeune have a job to come bac ..read more

The Color of Sky and Stone, by Sara Davison (Three Dreamers Press, 2023) Part thriller, part romance, and part Christian women’s fiction, The Color of Sky and Stone is a beautiful story that’s clearly hard for me to categorize. (Although I’ve learned a couple of new terms: this can be called upmarket fiction or book club fiction, since it’s designed to stimulate thought and discussion.) Thriller: Tane is a secret operative in a Canadian organization tasked with taking down drug lords and crime rings. The brief scenes from the enemy’s point of view had me very nervous reading this book. I’m le ..read more

Shade Grown, by Heather Day Gilbert (WoodHaven Press, 2023) A peaceful garden tour turns to trouble when Macy Hatfield finds the body of a reclusive movie star among the hostas. Warned by her brother Bo, the town’s new mayor, to leave investigating to the police, Macy can’t resist helping the dead man’s sister find answers. As always, the story includes scenes in the Hatfields’ coffee shop with the rescue dog section as well as the friendly West Virginia small town setting. The mysteries are good puzzles, and it’s fun to watch the characters’ relationships unfold. I appreciate both the clean ..read more

Crafting for Murder, by Barbara Emodi (C & T Publishing, 2023) Secrets and schemes and small-town murder. Empty-nester Valerie Rankin has returned to the tight-knit—and tiny—community of Gasper’s Cove on Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast. She’s housesitting for her vacationing aunt and teaching sewing classes and trying to set up a crafter’s co-op to boost tourism. But home isn’t the stable, unchanging place she remembers. Suddenly, she’s trying to save the family store and investigate a murder. The locals she’s known all her life aren’t who she thinks they are. At least one is a killer. I rea ..read more

Mistletoe and Murder, by Connie Berry (Crooked Lane Books, 2023) Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and the wedding guests are arriving any day. American antiques expert Kate Hamilton is set to marry her British detective fiancé, Tom Mallory, in a carefully-organized wedding in a quaint English village. What could possibly go wrong? If you guessed flight delays, wardrobe issues, and last-minute schedule changes, you’d be right. And of course Tom’s mother’s continued disapproval of Kate as a future daughter-in-law. But this is a mystery series. And this time, the mystery is too close to Kate’s ..read more

Outline for Murder, by Karin Kaufman (Winter Tree Books, 2023) “Meet Kelsie Butler. Coffee addict. Dog lover. Mystery buff.” She’s also a recent widow in a small Colorado town, with some good friends who’ll help her solve this mystery. Outline for Murder is a classic locked-room whodunit—or in this case “locked-store.” Kelsie has partnered with her friend Gwen to stage a mystery party in Gwen’s café. The only problem is, one of the players turns up dead—in a manner very similar to the script Kelsie wrote for the event. Kelsie is an appealing character, and I enjoyed the friendship dynamic as ..read more

A Cast of Falcons, by Steve Burrows (Dundurn, 2016) Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune is a Canadian serving on the local police force in Norfolk, England. By this point in the series (book 3) his colleagues are beginning to trust that however erratic his methods, he’ll solve the crime. Except this time he seems distracted by an unconnected death that’s not even local. This time the mystery centres around rival research groups and a controversial plan to mitigate global warming. The murder victim had switched sides and is found on the property of his former employer. With the company o ..read more