eyes.2c Reviews

Hazard of the Pursuit (Spencer & Reid Mysteries #6) by Cara Devlin         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A dead woman who is not dead raises the eyebrows of Leonora Spencer. Leo is having lunch with her uncle at the undertaker’s he now employed by when a basket recently brought in by two delivery men began to move. Leo opens the lid to be confronted by a woman who definitely is not dead.  Leo sends a strange note to Scotland Yard where Detective Inspector Jasper Reid receives it. Jasper is currently courting Leo. “A detective is needed at Tate’s Funeral Service on James Street. A woman’s corpse arrived. I suspect poison. P.S. She is not dead.” A new mystery ensnares Leo and Jasper that will lead to them uncovering a pattern of disturbing occurrences. On the personal level the pull between Leo and Jasper is undeniable but how will it be resolved? And that’s not even mentioning Jasper’s unwelcome ties to the East Rip. Another succinct and lively read from Cara Devlin.   ...

A Change of Plans (Sgt. Windflower Mystery #17) by Mike Martin       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Once more we delve into the world of now Acting Inspector Winston Windflower of the RCMP, his family and friends, his spirit guides, his relationship with those you’ve gone before, and enter his dreams with messages. I find it all fascinating! Even the tussle he and his partner Sheila are having with their nine year old daughter over a phone.  It’s not just Winflower’s day to day life and practices I enjoy, it’s the community dangers he helps solve and the programs he initiates to try and help youngsters back on track. Then there’s the food traditions the family has, the blueberry pies, the music he shares with certain friends. The mystery of a hit and run case in Marystown, part of his area, and what it might have to do with Mike Winger, an ex-veteran in a wheel chair, who’d settled in Grand Bank becomes an event that heralds major crime activities in the area. Apart from the darker sid...

Sacrilege  (Ralph de Mandeville Mystery #2) by Keith Moray        ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sir Ralph, Justice of the Peace, appointed by King Edward, is going about his business in the countryside of Yorkshire when news of a nun who’d committed suicide reached him. He’s duty bound to investigate. This killing is only the first of a series of hideous deaths as though brought on by some creature from the gates of Hell. Sir Ralph finds himself in conflict over who is in control with the local Lord and the Church. The plot is complex and the deaths may well go as high as Queen Phillipa and her younger son Thomas if Sir Ralph can’t solve the conundrum  A fascinating, yet diabolical medieval murder mystery from Moray set in the 1360’s. A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Better than a Duke by Suzanne Enoch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Two wonderful scamps belonging to a  widowed Marquis, and a widowed lady living next door, form a strong friendship. As do their parents. Both Beckett Raines, the Marquis of Hentrose and Mrs. Irish Silbern are beset by manipulating relatives trying to marry them off to highly suitable parties who are underhanded and nasty. How to get that HEA their children, young Lady Becks (nine years old) and Edmond Silbern (slightly older) want is beset with problems, riotous behavior and startling events. I laughed and gasped the whole way through!  A fabulous read with so many unusual and amusing incidents. I loved it! This is a keeper to be reread when you want a laugh. A Tor ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Can't Get Enough of the Duke  (Thunderbolt Club #2) by Lenora Bell        ⭐️⭐️⭐️    As cavalryman Lieutenant John Crewe lay dying on the battlefields of Belgium his commander Deckard Payne, Duke of Warburton promised to become the guardian for his young daughter, Annalise. Wounded, it takes several years for Dex to find his ward. I loved to two main characters, the delightful Annalise, budding author, and the brooding battle scarred duke, her guardian. I equally enjoyed the story of the dragon written by Ana unfolding before every chapter. A cunning metaphor. In the end though the story became all too predicable. Ana’s search for her father leads her into trouble. We knew it would. The surprises weren’t as effective. The potential five star read, devolved for me into a pleasing read. A Avon and Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley.                                   ...

The Faces of the Dead  (Cathy Marsden Thriller #2) by Chris Nickson           ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leeds 1944. Cathy Marsden is once again faced with a dangerous task. As a Leeds’ Sergeant, Cathy’s been seconded to the Intelligence Service. Their work in Leeds is to discover traitors, deserters and others who would tarnish the war effort. This time Cathy and her male companions are on the trail of someone who’s looking to take over the Leeds balk market and crime scene, run stolen weapons and be a power broker. It starts with a car crash, a dead man and woman who Cathy’s known from her police work. It ratchets up to murder and rape. When people start turning up dead, when the main suspects are always one step ahead it seems like there’s a leak somewhere. In her squad or the police? The US Army’s Criminal Investigation Division becomes involved. Theres an unfortunate cultural clash for Cathy and Warrant Officer Frank Graves at their first meeting. Faces of the d...