In Stitchness and in Health, by Reagan Davis and narrated by Zim Avaltrades AUDIO

 

 A Knitorious Murder Mystery, Book 10     AUDIO -- 6h and 3m

 

It's been awhile since I read the print version of this one, so it was fun to revisit Harmony Lake and hang out with Meg and her circle of friends. I won't detail the plot as others will have done so, so will simply say it starts with  celebrity wedding planning and ends up with a murder investigation, all while Meg and Eric finalize their whirlwind wedding plans. I grew to love the people of Harmony Lake and bet you will, too, so it was fun to hear their voices, so to speak. Narrator Zim Avaltrades does an admirable job given the size of the cast. The beginning of each chapter is simply announced, ie "Chapter 4", and the only voice I could quibble with was that of Eric, whose dialogue seemed a bit too measured, for lack of a better word. Then again, he's a cop, so a thoughtful, measured rate does seem an appropriate choice even if it threw me. 

 

As for the mystery, as noted, it was satisfactory if a bit sad. I'd actually forgotten whodunit since it's been some time since I read the book but even then it took me some time to put the clues in order again, so kept even a former, albeit forgetful reader guessing. Sophie the dog, a corgi, is, of course, a favorite of mine, especially with her newfound bilingual abilities. You're just going to have to trust me on that but it'll all make sense at the end. You'll also marvel at Meg's relationship with ex-husband Adam, father of daughter Hannah.

 

Bottom line, it was fascinating to see the community members come forward to support Meg and Eric when they....oh, oops, never mind. I almost gave away a plot twist and, trust me, there were a few as well as parallel story lines and viable suspects. Author Reagan Davis, who provided me with the audio code, weaves a good story with likable people who could be out own neighbors, an adorable corgi, and intriguing mystery. Put it all together and you've got another winner. 

First In Series: A cozy mystery collection Kindle Edition, by Reagan Davis (Author)

 

What a delight. A chance to relive the beginnings of not just one but two excellent cozy mysteries. Rather than simply tell you "Read these!", which you certainly should, I thought I'd share a few observations and reasons to do just that.

First, both have strong, independent female leads. In the Knitorious series, Megan is in the process of getting a divorce. Her husband has cheated on her but they are in the midst of a remarkably civil divorce, their focus on their daughter rather than themselves. In the other series, we have strong, ambitious Karla, who is trying to grow her concierge business. She has a bit of an advantage over Megan, however, in the sleuthing department. She's able to quickly pick up on people's tells, the involuntary eye movement, blinks, turning of the head/body, or whatever, when they're lying. Her father is also the town police chief, not to mention her sister is a cop, too. Oh, and her best friend is the town coroner.

Both ladies have a strong circle of family and friends who have their backs and are there for them. Both ladies, despite the negative events in their lives, also seem to be largely positive forces, looking for the good in all. The supporting casts about them are all well-defined, with personalities of their own. They all strike me as people I'd love to have in my life. And, oh, yes, there are adorable dogs in their small town settings. Romance, too, of course, when it can sneak in between the intriguing murder investigations. The mysteries themselves are satisfying, with multiple suspects and twists and turns, not to mention red herrings. 

Bottom line, to shift back into my first instinct, read these introductory installments and be ready to dive into both series when you find you're hooked.

Lost & Drowned (Bellbrook Murder Mystery #3), by Reagan Davis

Once again, I was instantly reminded why I love Reagan Davis' books so much. Not only interesting, unique characters, but her skill and deftness with writing. Reading her description of the view as seen from a luxury yacht, I was instantly pulled in. I wanted to find out what the heck main character Karla Bell was doing on a luxury yacht and was charmed as Karla described the horizon, a "blurry boundary between ocean and sky that she could see but never touch, chase but never catch. Elusive. Limitless and untouchable."

The yacht and the awe inspiring views it can provide certainly play a role in the story, but the big question is, well, make that two big questions: One, who is the murderer and, two, uh, who was the victim? Karla is aboard to promote Bellflower estate, her ancestral home, as a marriage destination to a prominent social media influencer who just happens to come from a rich family. They're all astounded to discover someone has used Karla's name to sneak onto the ship, someone whose body is soon found dead in a tub of water. Who killed... well, whatever her name is?

There are ample suspects. Saskia and husband-to-be Ben seem to be a lovely young couple, so why aren't they being truthful? Karla, with her ability to read people's tells -- involuntary actions/blinks/whatever -- when they lie, quickly discerns that there's a lot of lying going on, actually. On a ship where everyone has to be brought aboard by family or staff, how could a killer get aboard, let alone mysteriously vanish? Even weirder, what happened to the dead woman's two suitcases she brought aboard? No identification? Why is Ben acting so sneaky? Could it be the ultra organized Caitlin, fearful another woman had caught the eye of the man she adored? Why weren't the cameras catching anything? Will Karla's mother, Lynn's observations be helpful or harmful? Who was.... oh, never mind. Enough teasers. 

I have discovered that the authors whose work I most enjoy must not only serve up a good mystery/story, but well-rounded characters that I'd like to know. That is definitely true here. Not only that, Davis does a deft job of showing where their stories intertwine, usually while doing an equally deft job of catching new readers up on past events. You'll learn quickly why Karla's relationship with her mother is, well, still occasionally uneasy. You'll also get to know her cop sister, not to mention her police chief father, and best friend, one who happens to be the town coroner. My hunch is you'll like them all and all have a role to play in this mystery. They have each other's backs and care about those around them.

Heck, even feisty pooch Gucci makes several appearances, managing to send one suspect quivering with fear. Honest. Read the book. It's a mystery. It's a sweet romance. It's character driven. You even get to tour a gorgeous private yacht and get a gander at that horizon Davis describes for us in the beginning. This book is a winner. Read it. You'll even know what cynophobia and ranunculus are when you're done. Another plus for me, I learned something by reading it.

Thanks #ReaganDavis and #CarpeFilumPress for allowing me to enter Karla's fascinating world and hang out with her family and friends again. Looking forward to following the continued renovation of Bellflower estate, not to mention what's up with Lynn and Harry. And, loved the cover. Kudos to the designer. The colors work.

Rage Before Beauty (Bellbrook Murder Mystery #2), by Reagan Davis

 

Publication Dec. 26, 2022

This one was as much about family and friends as it was solving a murder. Not just the dynamics of Karla's own family but the extended family of friends that might as well be family. Everyone comes together to help when Karla faces an unexpected problem, losing the full kitchen and house staff of a VIP client to food poisoning early on in the story. The murder didn't occur until later. It was fun to visualize her family and friends, especially her own mother, filling the unexpected roles. Karla's own relationship with her mother is, hmm, let's say, unsettled, so seeing them come together was a treat. Karla is one of those who has trouble accepting help, feeling it makes her look less independent and able, but is gradually learning that knowing when to ask for and/or accept help does neither. In other words, she's growing.

The plot revolves around the question, "Who killed Samir, a tech VIP.... and why?" The spouse is usually the first to be put under the microscope but, well, Millie seems to have genuinely loved her husband, But, wait, does she know how Colin seems to feel about her? Hmm, maybe. Could Colin have wanted Samir out of the way to pursue Millie? And, hey, Raj? Why has he been shunted aside in the business? Is there some reason he isn't trusted? Why are these three so closely connected to each other? Will Karla ever get around to picking molding? I wonder if Karla is aware of her own "tell", human lie-detector that she is. She's good at it with others. Who would benefit....oh, no. Wait. No more teasers. Put this one on your "to be read" list. 

Thanks #ReaganDavis and #CarpeFilumPress for inviting me to the fancy, exclusive party. I am enjoying getting to know this bunch more and more with each book and will definitely be back. I'll bring virtual treats for Gucci!

Ice Girls Finish Last, by Reagan Davis

 

I was instantly reminded why I so thoroughly enjoy Reagan Davis' books. Her writing and deft use of words draws me in every time. This time it was the very first sentence about driving through a pounding downpour in "a jittery silence". That immediately conveyed the atmosphere and hovering mood, with the "squeaky determination of the windshield wipers" making me flashback to a few drenching Florida downpours I remember from living there. I was instantly in the scene, albeit thankful that as much rain as my now home of Alaska gets, it never quite seems to come down as pounding as those dreaded Florida thunderstorms.

In any case, this is a quick, easy read, a flashback to the beginnings of Karla's days in Bellbrook. We meet her half sister, Max, who dreams of being a police officer, and Rob(yn) who is studying to be a doctor. Together, especially with Karla's knack of quickly discerning people's "tells" if they lie, they make a great team, even in this, their younger days. They are sent detouring around after the storm washes out some roads and encounter a dazed, injured woman who cannot even remember her own name. Then, they see the notice about an escaped serial killer. Uh, oh...

Roads and phones are out and this story takes place before even GPS in cars was common, let alone cell phones. They are on their own. And, they use their collective strengths to slowly begin to put the pieces together and figure out who to trust and who not to trust. And, hey, there's even a dog stranded with them at the gas station/store. Bottom line, a fun, quick read that both fills in some blanks on Karla and the rest as well as keeps the reader engrossed and entertained. Or, maybe I should say "jittery"?

Bait and Switch, by Reagan Davis

What would you do if you were suddenly cut off from the outside world with no way to leave or even phone or internet access? 

 

That is the situation Megan and friends find themselves caught up in in "Bait & Stitch". This time, they are out of their usual element without the usual backup that includes Megan's husband Mike, who is with the police. In other words, they are forced to rely on their own wits, common sense, and some new faces. 

 

I won't detail the plot as others will but will give you a hint that even Megan seems to be considered suspect at one point. As always, even out of its usual setting, this latest entry in the Knitorious murder mystery series is a winner. Heck, you may find yourself doing the same thing I did when I first discovered it and going back to read the entire series. It's that good. Give it a read.

 

 

A Well Constructed Murder, by Reagan Davis

 
"Everyone has secrets. Some people just hide them better than others."

Great read! As a long-time fan of Davis' Knitorious series, I have to admit to going into this new series with some trepidation. What if I didn't like it? What if..... Oh, never mind. It didn't matter. I loved it. Given Davis' deft touch with words, that was surely predictable but nothing in the mystery was.

On the surface, the plot seems simple. Who killed contractor Fitz? Is the location a connection? But, whoa! Death by nail gun? Even more bizarre, the victim was "nailed" from both the back and front. It doesn't take any deductive skills for Karla to know there was no way the victim committed suicide. There is not only any way he could have shot himself, then carefully placed the alleged suicide note neatly atop his stomach, not to mention wiped both the nail gun and pencil used for the note clean of fingerprints. Yep, murder.

From there, the story moves along smoothly and quickly. We're introduced to the new series' characters of this small Canadian town as well as made aware that there seem to be plenty of secrets in town. Although my first question was who is driving that red pickup Karla is so diligently avoiding, that puzzle was immediately shoved aside as we meet her family, friends, and pets. I found myself loving all the characters, even mother Lynn who Karla seems to have issues with, as I sorted out who everyone was and their relationships. Given her budding amateur sleuth efforts, Karla is lucky in that both her father and half-sister are police while her best friend since kindergarten is the town's coroner/doctor. As such, Karla finds herself working with the police rather than against as is so often the case in cozy mysteries. I liked that.

So, who is Karla avoiding? Why? Is Karla really basically a human lie detector? How does BFF Rob/Robin explain this ability? Do we all have tells? Probably. Why was the suicide note crumpled? Was the murder personal or random? Why does Karla have such an extensive wardrobe? Is Leon as good a guy as he wants to be seen? Was Fitz guilty of sloppy construction as Harry thinks? What's in those envelopes? Where did what's inside come from? How good is Lynn's weather prediction ability? Will Gucci be legal or not? And....

Well, never mind. Read the book for the answers to these questions and more, including adorable dogs. You won't be disappointed. I know I'm delighted to have another binge-worthy series available, especially with the hints of what is coming next.

Murder, It Seams, by Reagan Davis

 I've followed this series from day one and just like the previous books, I loved this one. I found it not just an intriguing mystery, well thought out and with lots of twists and turns, but one that showcased the characters well. Ironically, given that main character Megan has never much liked Karla, it's Karla who adds an interesting summation of Megan at one point, saying "you've taken a community of small-town busybodies and whipped up a network of supportive family and friends who take care of each other." Given that network's diligence when it came time to keep Megan safe from the killer, that was telling.

I also wound up liking Karla. She's smart and had an edge that makes her come off to many as snarky and even mean. Megan has always resented her ability to lob compliments that aren't compliments, for instance, and do it with apparent glee. Yet, when forced to work with Karla to solve a murder, one where Karla is a suspect, Megan discovers another side to Karla. She learns how caring about others Karla is and is quick to follow her instincts that Karla could not be a killer. Oh, the snark is still there but they come to respect and, yes, maybe even like each other by the time all is said and done. Karla even finds a major clue that points the finger at the guilty party at the end. Nope, not telling. Getting to that point was half the fun as Megan and Karla traded zingers and heart-felt feelings with the other characters blending in and out of the action. All while solving a crime with a little help from those "busybodies" Karla referenced.

I was kept guessing and switched main suspects several times but, as luck would have it, was interrupted and had to put aside the book for a couple days. Upon my return to it I was right at the point the clues began to make me suspect the eventual culprit but that was sheer luck and an "It's too easy" gut instinct at my then main suspect. Kudos to Reagan Davis for weaving together such an intriguing, timely case while letting us get to know the characters better as real people. They are people I wish I knew and I'm looking forward to Megan's next adventure.