all your Reads in Here

If you haven't yet discovered Simon R. Green's Ishmael Jones mysteries, Murder in the Dark is a good place to start. It's not quite as graphically violent as some of the earlier ones in the series. In fact, this one is reminiscent of Agatha Christie's  And Then There Were None  with the addition of Green's trademark black humor. In 1963, Ishmael Jones crashed to Earth in an alien space ship. Now, he lives in England in human form and works as a field agent for the mysterious Organization, investigating weird and unusual cases. There are more than you would expect in an ancient country with a history packed with "monsters and mysteries". The latest mystery involves a mysterious hole in the side of Brassknockers Hill near Bath. Ishmael and his partner, Penny Belcourt, are dispatched with an urgent assignment to protect the scientists now working at the site. An archaeologist working at a dig fell into the hole and disappeared. Ishmael and Penny find an odd ...

I've read the second, and now the third Lady Sherlock mystery by Sherry Thomas. I'm afraid I'm just not the right audience for these books, although I'm a big fan of the original Sherlock Holmes stories and some of the pastiches. I found The Hollow of Fear difficult to follow at times, and I'm not as in love with Charlotte Holmes as many readers are. As I said, though, I think I'm not the right audience. When Charlotte Holmes helps her half-brother escape from men who are after him, she senses there is a plot in motion. Her sister, Livia, is an unwitting pawn. Livia annually visits Mrs. Newell, a distant relative. When the cisterns fail at Mrs. Newell's house, all her guests move to Lord Ingram's estate, Stern Hollow. Livia is aware that all society speculates about Charlotte's friendship with Lord Ingram, guessing that it's more than friendship. Then Livia, along with two of the worst gossips in London, find Lady Ingram's body in the estate...

Rhys Bowen's latest Royal Spyness mystery has been out almost a month, but I just had a chance to read it.   Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is a fun romp that wraps up the suspense so many readers have been awaiting. Will Lady Georgiana Rannoch finally marry the love of her life, Darcy O'Mara? All along, there have been all kinds of barriers in the way. Georgie was in line for the throne, so the King has to allow her to marry a Catholic, but she'll no long be in the line of succession. And, neither Georgie or Darcy have much money, although she has a title and he'll inherit a castle in Ireland. And, now that the marriage has been approved, Georgie has to get a dress, a trousseau, and the pair have to find a place to live. And, Queen Mary wants the royal family and maybe some of the extended family invited to the wedding, and proposes Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret as bridesmaids. Oh, and don't forget that Georgie's mother and her grandfather both h...

Fans of "Downton Abbey" and books involving the rich British upper-class may enjoy Ali Carter's debut mystery,  A Brush with Death . I found it a little too detailed and slow-paced for my taste, but those who enjoy all the details of English grand homes may enjoy this. Susie Mahl, the narrator, is what I see as a hanger-on. She's an artist whose specialty is painting pet portraits, so she spends time at grand homes all over England as she studies the pets. She's quite comfortable with the lifestyle of the rich upper-class, and depends on referrals. While she's staying with the Earl and Countess of Greengrass, Diana, Lady Greengrass refers Susie to new neighbors, Ben and Antonia Codrington. That meeting leads to a commission for Susie, one that puts her in the right spot when Alexander, the Earl of Greengrass, dies. Susie's to paint the Codrington's dog, Situp, but she's surprised to find another guest at their house when she arrives. Henry Dunstan-...