Review: A Tempest at Sea (Lady Sherlock #7) by Sherry Thomas

This series started out as a DNF for me. I couldn’t get into the first book when I picked it up the first time so I put it down as a DNF and almost wrote the series off all together. But it bugged me so bad that I didn’t like this series! So many of my friends around the blog-o-sphere loved it and honestly it SHOULD be a series that I love. So after some consideration, I picked up the first book and decided to try again. I am so glad I did because I loved it and binge read all the books that had some out at that point so I could be ready for more in the series!

Sometimes that happens with readers—it’s like the right book and the wrong time and it can be so hard to decide if it was that I wasn’t in the mood for that book or if I really just didn’t care for it. Some books I can absolutely tell that I just don’t like it but with others it could be that I am just not in the right headspace for a particular book, which is why this series needled me so bad! I am glad I decided to give it another go as it has been a very enjoyable series and this book was another great installment.

If you haven’t checked this series out yet it’s great for fans of Sherlock Holmes but with a feminine twist! Author, Sherry Thomas, does a great job staying true to the character of Sherlock Holmes but with a gender bender, but the methods and problem solving that Holmes is known for is seen reflected in these charming characters. If you love historical mysteries this is a great place to start! Both familiar but new!

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Special Feature: Muffin But The Truth (A Bakeshop Mystery #16) by Ellie Alexander

Ellie Alexander has written a number of cozy mysteries series, her most well known being this one. Clearly it’s popular as it currently has 16 books in the series! I have skipped around in this series without too much trouble and I have also read some of Alexander’s other book series and really enjoyed her mix of classic Oregon towns and interesting characters—-not to mention the food!

Alexander is from Oregon and this particular series is set in Ashland. I live in Oregon so naturally I am partial to any book set in the PacNW. Ashland is a fun town and they have an annual Shakespeare Festival there as well so I love that Alexander incorporates this into her books. I can personally attest that these books authentically portray Oregon and the charm of some of our quirky towns which is one of the reasons I love her books because she really shows our lovely state in all its glory.

Whenever I read one of her books, I always know I am going to get a well written and fun mystery as well as a few good recipes or two! The Bakeshop Mysteries are so fun and I have loved reading them over the years, even reading them out of order they all can read like stand alone books. If you haven’t read this series yet maybe this is your sign to pick it up and give it a shot! I don’t think you will be disappointed. I can’t wait to review this latest novel a little later in the spring! It’s out now though so don’t miss it!

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Special Feature/Excerpt: Under a Veiled Moon (Inspector Corravan #2) by Karen Odden

Karen Odden has written a couple of different historical mystery series most of which are set in the Victorian era. She has also written introductions for some well known classics like Hard Time by Charles Dickens. Clearly she has a love of Victorian literature and history. I have enjoyed her Victorian Mysteries series even if there has only been two books so far.

This latest series featuring Inspector Corravan, is currently on its second book. Odden’s books are recommended for fans of CS Harris and Anne Perry and I would agree, her mysteries are more complex and rich in historical detail. The focus is usually on the mystery itself rather than some of the other secondary plots. I haven’t read this series yet and the reason I choose to do a feature instead of a review was so I could go back and read the first book before moving on to the second.

Having read Odden’s first series, I know she does a great job orientating new readers within the series, however when I can, I prefer to read series books in order. Today though, I have a feature AND excerpt to share! If you are a fan of historical fiction mysteries then you are not going to want to miss this diamond in the rough author! She always crafts a smart mystery with fun characters and wonderful historical details!

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Review: City of Fortune (Counterfeit Lady #6) by Victoria Thompson

I featured this one last week and ever since then I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! The cover fully lured me in as well as the horse racing aspect and I just couldn’t get it out of my head! I had planned to read this one a little bit later this spring when my calendar wasn’t so full but sometimes it just happens like this where I can’t get a book out of my head and then boom here we are reading it way before I planned to !

I have read some of Victoria Thompson’s books but have been limited to the Gaslight Mystery series. They are pretty good and that series especially is a long standing series (I think there are around 25 or 26 books!). She has written a couple of other romance books (cowboy romances) but the historical mysteries have been limited to the Gaslight Mystery series. Then in 2017, Thompson released the first book in her new series, Counterfeit Lady series and this series was born.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series but I have the books on my radar and now that I have read this one, I think I am going to have to go and check out the other books in the series now. You could pick this one up mid series (which is what I did) without having read the other books, but there are clearly some plots that are established from previous books. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me but I did feel like my reading experience was different than someone who might be reading it from the beginning and in order.

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Special Feature: City of Fortune (Counterfeit Lady #6) by Victoria Thompson

Victoria Thompson has multiple successful series under her belt, including the Gaslight Mystery Series that’s currently 26 books strong! I have read a couple of her books in that series and thoroughly enjoyed them however with it being such a long, established series that it’s a little hard to jump around within the series as there are threads of a larger story woven in. However the books I have read have all been fun and enjoyable so I would recommend the over all series.

Thompson has now started this new series, Counterfeit Lady series, and it’s only six books in so certainly a much more manageable series to get caught up on! While I haven’t read the other books in this series, this book jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. One—the cover! How beautiful is this cover you guys?! The other reason is this book has a horse angle (horse racing) and I absolutely love horses! While I couldn’t fit this one into my review calendar, I am super excited to start this series in the coming months so I can be caught up and ready for the next book in the series.

Thompson is a quality writer with such a huge fan base! If you love historical mysteries with a strong heroine and a smart mystery then you are going to find a lot to love in her books! This book has already been receiving rave reviews from other reviewers, since I haven’t read it yet, I cannot say if you need to read the other books in the series first. No doubt the author will do a good job orientating new readers in the series as well as focusing on the mystery but there will likely be some threads of the larger narrative that carry over from other books. Overall though I would probably still give it a try, you cannot go wrong with Thompson! She’s an excellent writer and a proven track record of well written mysteries!

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