Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 360 pages / 11 hrs, 16 mins

"After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

"Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

"Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late."  --from the publisher

I really enjoyed this delightful tale of interweaving stories. Don't worry about the octopus as a character--Van Pelt is masterful at giving him a believable voice. If you like audiobooks, the readers are outstanding. My only criticism is that the ending wasn't as strong as the rest of the story. I give it four out of five stars.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

 432 pages / 17 hrs, 4 mins

"Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.

"There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

"We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

"Understood? Then let's begin . . .

"Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others..."  --from the publisher

This is a great plot, and it had to be tremendously difficult to write. My head was spinning with the clues and characters given in their own individual 24-hour period. Oh, except for a couple characters who appear when another character has fallen asleep and disappear when that character wakes up. I think this kind of story has to be written brilliantly to be thoroughly enjoyed, and I don't think Turton quite pulled it off. Although fascinated with the story line, I got frustrated and considered quitting a time or two. Still, it is worth reading. I give it four out of five stars.

From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith

 (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #24)

240 pages

"This latest installment of the beloved No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series finds Botswana's premier detective agency as busy as ever, with no shortage of senstive situations requiring Mma Ramotswe's keen eye and discerning input. Through it all, Mma Ramotswe will demonstrate that there are solutions to all manner of difficulties, there to be discovered as long as one is led by kindness, grace, and logic, and can rely on the wise counsel of close friends and loved ones. Sometimes, she reminds us, the best solutions to life's problems can be found with a bit of good humor, generosity of spirit, and a steaming cup of red bush tea." -- from the publisher

Lovely and endearing and sweet to the soul. Happy sigh. One of my favorite quotes from the book, "...an important part of forgiveness was allowing the past to fade, like an old photograph exposed to the sun." Four out of five stars for me.

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

 (The 6:20 Man #1)

593 pages / 11 hrs, 51 mins

"Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance.

"Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

"Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the Army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm.

"This treacherous role will take Travis from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power…where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bullseye."  --from the publisher

This is a fun, exciting read. I had a hard time putting it down. I don't usually like corporate crime novels, but Devine isn't your stereotypical financial analyst. There are a few holes in the plot, but nothing major. I give it four out of five stars.

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers

 (Lord Peter Wimsey #1)

212 pages / 5 hrs, 51 mins

"The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder -- especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath."  --from the publisher

This book was first published in 1923. I saw it on a list of "bests," so I gave it a try. I found it interesting and engaging. The reader of the audiobook is very good, but was hard to hear at times. I think I would have enjoyed it better by reading it in print. I gave it four out of five stars.

Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt

 (Andy Carpenter #14)

326 pages / 7 hrs, 30 mins

"Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter spends as much time as he can working on his true passion, the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs. Lately, Andy has been especially involved in a county prison program where inmates help train dogs the Tara Foundation has rescued to make them more adoptable, benefiting both the dogs and the prisoners. One of the prisoners Andy has been working with is Brian Atkins, who has 18 months left on a 5-year term for fraud. Brian has been helping to train Boomer, an adorable fox terrier the Tara Foundation rescued from a neglectful owner. Brian and Boomer are clearly a terrific match. In fact, Andy hopes that Brian will adopt Boomer himself, once his sentence is up. But one day, Andy arrives at the prison to discover that Brian has used Boomer to make an ingenious escape, and man and dog are both in the wind. The next day, the man on whose testimony Brian was convicted is found murdered. Brian is caught and arrested for the crime, though he forcefully protests his innocence. Suddenly, Andy finds himself with a new client in Brian and a new dog in Boomer. And as he starts to dig deeper into the murder and the events leading up to it, Andy realizes he might be putting them all in far more danger than anyone had realized."  --from the publisher

Another entertaining installment in a solid series. Four out of five stars for me.

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn

(Chet and Bernie Mystery #13)

320 pages / 9 hrs, 13 mins

"When Chet the dog, “the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction” ( Boston Globe ), and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, are approached by a down-and-out older man with a cardboard sign at an exit ramp, Bernie is shocked to discover the man is a former teammate from his high school baseball team. Chet and Bernie take Rocket out for a good meal, and later, Bernie investigates Rocket’s past, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong.

"Then, Rocket goes suspiciously missing. With his former teammate likely in danger, Bernie goes back to his old high school for answers, where much that he remembers turns out not to be true―and there are powerful and dangerous people not happy with the questions Bernie is asking.

"Bernie soon learns that he misunderstood much about his high school years – and now, Chet and Bernie are plunged into a dangerous case where the past isn’t dead and the future could be fatal."  --from the publisher

I love this series, and this installment was very entertaining. Four out of five stars for me.

Hide by Lisa Gardner

 (Detective D.D. Warren #2)

375 pages / 12 hours

"It was a case that haunts Bobby Dodge to this day—the case that nearly killed him and changed his life forever. Now, in an underground chamber on the grounds of an abandoned Massachusetts mental hospital, the gruesome discovery of six mummified corpses resurrects his worst nightmare: the return of a killer he thought dead and buried. There’s no place to run. . . . Bobby’s only lead is wrapped around a dead woman’s neck. Annabelle Granger has been in hiding for as long as she can remember. Her childhood was a blur of new cities and assumed identities. But what—or who—her family was running from, she never knew. Now a body is unearthed from a grave, wearing a necklace bearing Annabelle’s name, and the danger is too close to escape. This time, she’s not going to run. You know he will find you. . . .

"The new threat could be the dead psychopath’s copycat, his protégé—or something far more terrifying. Dodge knows the only way to find him is to solve the mystery of Annabelle Granger, and to do that he must team up with his former lover, partner, and friend D. D. Warren from the Boston P.D. But the trail leads back to a woman from Bobby’s past who may be every bit as dangerous as the new killer—a beautiful survivor-turned-avenger with an eerie link to Annabelle."  --from the publisher

While I was looking for words to describe my reaction to this one, I found this GoodReads review by VickiLee, "The plot, while captivating at first, really drizzled off into what I felt was a preposterously twisted and unbelievable ending to explain what kept a family on the run." Yes, my thoughts exactly. I was thoroughly engaged with the story, but I give it three out of five stars for the disappointing ending.

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith

 (Detective Varg #1)

240 pages / 7 hrs, 15 mins

"The Department of Sensitive Crimes is Scandinavian Blanc, vastly different from Scandinavian Noir. There is nothing noir about the world of Ulf Varg, Detective Inspector in the Sensitive Crimes Department of the Criminal Investigation Authority for the city of Malmö, Sweden. Ulf is concerned with odd, but not too threatening crimes, such as a stab wound to the back of the knee caused by an unknown hand, young women who allow their desperation for a boyfriend to get the better of them, and peculiar goings-on in a spa on Sweden's south coast.

"Of course, Ulf is a Swedish detective, and Swedish detectives, by convention, lead lives beset with problems of one sort or another. For a start, there is his name: Ulf means “wolf” in modern Swedish, and Varg derives from the Old Norse word for “wolf”. But his character is far from vulpine: Ulf is a sympathetic, well-educated, and likeable man, with a knowledge of and interest in Scandinavian- and modern art. He has a dog named Marten, the only dog in Sweden capable of lip-reading (but only in Swedish). Martin becomes depressed and needs treatment. Dogs in Sweden are apparently particularly prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). But this is summer—so there must be something else going on.

"Ulf has a number of colleagues into whose lives we gain insight. There is Anna, married to an anaesthetist, but very fond of Ulf; Erik, whose sole interest is fishing; Carl, whose father is a famous Lutheran theologian who has written a book on Danish philosopher Kierkegaard; then there is Blomquist from the uniformed branch, who goes on and on about his health problems but seems to have extraordinary luck in investigations. There is also Ulf's psychotherapist, Dr. Svensson, whose observations on Ulf's life—and many other topics—enlightens...or possibly confuses." --from the publisher

This book is well written in an intriguing style. I like the characters and their quirky conversations. I give it four out of five stars.

Who Let the Dog Out? by David Rosenfelt

 (Andy Carpenter #13)

324 pages / 6 hrs, 42 mins

"A lawyer by day-and then only when he's forced to take on new cases-Andy Carpenter's true passion is the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs with his friend Willie Miller. So it's frightening when Willie calls him to say the alarm has gone off at the foundation building, and there's clearly been a break-in. It turns out that a recently rescued dog, nicknamed Cheyenne since her arrival at the foundation, has been stolen. Andy and Willie track the missing dog to a house in downtown Paterson, New Jersey and sure enough, they find the dog...standing right next to a dead body. The man had been gruesomely murdered mere minutes before Andy and Willie arrived...

"Andy takes Cheyenne safely back to the foundation building, and that should be the end of his involvement, but Andy's curiosity-and his desire to keep the dog from further harm-won't let him stop there. The cops have just arrested a man named Tommy Infante for the murder, but as Andy looks into the circumstances surrounding the break-in and the dog theft, he starts to wonder if Infante might actually be innocent. And when Andy takes Infante on as a client and starts searching in earnest for evidence that will exonerate him, what Andy starts to discover terrifies him..."  --from the publisher

Another good story with wry humor, with a mention of St. Louis Cardinal Ozzie Smith as the best shortstop of all time. That was a pleasant surprise to hear from an author who is from New Jersey. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Pawn by Steven James

 (The Patrick Bowers Files #1)

427 pages / 13 hrs, 6 mins

"Special Agent Patrick Bowers had only met one man who made him truly afraid. Until now. When he's called to North Carolina to consult on the case of an area serial killer, he finds himself in a deadly game. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again.

"It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up. Can he unravel the pattern and save the next victim? Or will the Illusionist win the game by taking one of his opponent's pieces?" --from the publisher

It was good, but somewhat disjointed for me. There were a lot of characters, and the relationship between Bowers and his stepdaughter was not well developed, in my opinion. I'll definitely try the next in the series, though. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

 (By the Book Mysteries #2)

408 pages (mass market paperback), 7 hrs, 49 mins

"In the aftermath of solving their first murder, bestselling author Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter Gertrude have decided to stay in Winthrop permanently. Now that they've made some updates to their cabin in the woods, they're turning to the family hardware store that Tess inherited and converting it into the town's first independent bookstore. But when renovations unearth bones from a cold case and send them toppling—literally—onto Tess's head, the work comes to a grinding halt. With the whole town convinced that her grandfather was a serial killer, Tess has to call in a fellow horror author for reinforcements. Together, they'll come up with a perfect story to make all the clues fit...and solve a mystery more than thirty years in the making."  --from the publisher

I enjoyed this lighthearted mystery with its highly-imaginative, but endearing, protagonist. This would be a good vacation/weekend read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Alone by Lisa Gardner

(Detective D.D. Warren #1)
 336 pages / 10 hrs, 10 mins

"Alone . . . Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man’s finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react . . . and forever pay the consequences.

"Alone . . . that’s where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

"Alone . . . a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum security prison where he’d done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous . . . and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence—but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who’s woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone."  --from the publisher

If you love a psychological thriller with layers of deception, then this is for you. I found it very well written and intriguing. My only complaint is that the coarse language seemed a bit gratuitous, to me. I give it four out of five stars.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

 264 pages / 6 hrs, 1 min

First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion.

When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.

I re-read this for the Jefferson County Reads initiative, and could hardly put it down. I forgot how suspenseful and superbly written it is! I'm looking forward to attending one of the book discussion groups on it. I give it five out of five stars.

Unleashed by David Rosenfelt

 (Andy Carpenter #11)

308 pages / 7 hrs

"Andy Carpenter's accountant, Sam Willis, is stunned to receive a phone call out of the blue from Barry Price, a high school friend he hasn't spoken to in years, pleading for help with something too frightening to discuss on the phone.

"Barry needs Sam's financial acumen and lawyer Andy Carpenter's legal expertise and he needs them immediately. But when Sam almost runs over an injured dog lying in the road on the way to Barry's house, he can't drive off without waiting for help to arrive. By the time Sam makes it, Barry's already taken off on a private airplane headed who-knows-where. Assuming their help is no longer needed, Sam and Andy turn their full attention to helping the dog Sam found recover from his injuries.

"Then they learn that Barry's plane has crashed, and they come to the terrifying realization that Sam was also supposed to have been killed on that plane.

"Barry was in far more serious trouble than either of them knew, and for Sam and Andy, the trouble is only beginning."  --from the publisher

Another fun, witty installment in this cozy mystery series. I give it three out of five stars.

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

 (By the Book Mysteries #1)

312 pages / 8 hrs, 40 mins

"Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess's recent divorce, but they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it's raining fish guts and...is that a human arm?

"Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she's thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they've spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales―something he's less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter's summer plans at stake, it's up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt."  --from the publisher

I enjoyed this tale by a new-to-me author. How can you dislike an intro that includes body parts falling from sky? I give it three and a half stars out of five.

Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks

 366 pages / 8 hrs, 27 mins

"Fifteen years ago Piper Boone’s only child died in a boating accident, and Piper’s almost perfect life came to an end too. After living through a divorce and losing her job, she retreats to Curlew Island and her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the politically powerful Boone family, who are practically American royalty.

"But Piper’s desire to become a recluse is shattered when a mass shooter opens fire and kills three women at a café where Piper is having lunch. The crisis puts her family in the spotlight by dredging up rumors of the so-called Curlew Island Curse, which whispers say has taken the lives of several members of the Boone family, including Piper’s father and sister.

"Forensic artist Tucker Landry also survives the shooting and is tasked with the job of sketching a portrait of the shooter with Piper. They forge a bond over their shared love of movies and tragic pasts. But when police discover a connection between the shooting and two more murders on Curlew Island, they face a more terrible lineup of suspects than they could have imagined: Piper’s family."  --from the publisher

I liked this one! I hope Parks keeps writing and strengthening her character development. If you've been disappointed by inspirational fiction mysteries in the past, you might give this one a try. I give it four out of five stars.

Tender is the Bite by Spencer Quinn

 (Chet and Bernie Mystery #11)

272 pages / 8 hrs, 51 mins

"Chet and Bernie are contacted by a terribly scared young woman who seems to want their help. Before she can even tell them her name, she flees in panic. But in that brief meeting Chet sniffs out an important secret about her, a secret at the heart of the mystery he and Bernie set out to solve.

"It's a case with no client and no crime and yet great danger, with the duo facing a powerful politician who has a lot to lose. Their only hope lies with a ferret named Griffie who adores Bernie. Is there room for a ferret in the Chet and Bernie relationship? That's the challenge Chet faces, the biggest of his career. Hanging in the balance are the lives of two mistreated young women and the future of the whole state."  --from the publisher

Love these stories! I give it four out of five stars.

Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn

(Chet and Bernie Mystery #10)
301 pages / 8 hrs, 46 mins

"When Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction" (Boston Globe), and his partner, PI Bernie Little of the desert-based Little Detective Agency, arrive to a meeting with hydrologist Wendell Nero, they are in for a shocking sight--Wendell has come to a violent and mysterious end. What did the hydrologist want to see them about? Is his death a random robbery, or something more? Chet and Bernie, working for nothing more than an eight-pack of Slim Jims, are on the case.

"Bernie might be the only one who thinks the police have arrested the wrong man, including the perp's own defense attorney. Chet and Bernie begin to look into Wendell's work, a search that leads to a struggling winemaker who has received an offer he can't refuse. Meanwhile, Chet is smelling water where there is no water, and soon Chet and Bernie are in danger like never before."  --from the publisher

Such fun books! Pure entertainment. I give it four out of five stars.

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

 (Hawthorne and Horowitz Investigate #4)

400 pages / 8 hrs, 30 mins

'Our deal is over.'

"That's what reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne in an awkward meeting. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

"His new play, Mindgame, is about to open in London's Vaudeville theatre. Not surprisingly Hawthorne declines a ticket.

"On opening night, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives the play a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next morning she is found dead, stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which, it turns out, belongs to Anthony and which has his finger prints all over it.

"Anthony is arrested, charged with Throsby's murder, thrown into prison and interrogated.

"Alone and increasingly desperate, he realises only one man can help him.

"But will Hawthorne take his call?"  --from the publisher

I love this series--solid mysteries and great characters with wry, British humor. What's not to love? I give it four out of five stars.