Quote:
Originally Posted by cromag
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And I'm still reading short stories at the moment. I may have the time and ambition to tackle something longer soon.
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And I did. I read a couple of light mysteries, both of which were the first in their respective series.
First, Murder in Primary Colors, first in the Dr. Christmas Connery Cozy Mysteries by Nora Barker. It was an interesting murder set in the art museum of a small midwestern (US) university. It took a little while to get going, but it was a fun, easy read and there were some nice touches. I'd give it between three and four stars. This is free at Smashwords (and, I imagine, the retailers that Smashwords distributes to), but it's $4.99 if you get it at Amazon.
The second was The Avid Angler, first in the Hot Dog Detective series by Mathiya Adams. I
really liked this one. It's a bit longer and more complicated than "Primary Colors" was. The protagonist is a former cop who left the force after his wife was murdered (still unsolved), he had a nervous breakdown, became an alcoholic and homeless in Denver. By the time the story opens he has been in AA and sober for some time and he is rejoining society by running a hot dog stand by the courthouse. He is drawn into an investigation of what appears to be a simple murder.
I had one problem with the book. It has nothing to do with the plot, so no spoilers are involved, but one of the characters has a name that is virtually identical (the spelling varies only slightly) to the name of a famous sports figure. There really doesn't seem to be any reason for it, and I found it to be a minor distraction.
Still, I really liked the story. The Avid Angler is free at Smashwords, Amazon, and probably most other retailers.
Next up, White Elephant by Nora Barker, second in the Dr. Christmas Connery Cozy Mysteries. I have the full series from a previous Smashwords sale -- they are not enrolled in the current Smashwords sale.