I’ve started adding more independent and self-published authors to my TBR pile. In March I read three books by two indie authors, a romance by Tasha L. Harrison and two books in a cozy mystery series by Mairi Chong.
In Her Closet by Tasha L. Harrison, was the only 3-star read of the month. It’s a very spicy romance about a sex blogger, Yves Santiago, struggling to let go of some pretty heavy baggage from a previous relationship while attempting to write a book based on her blog. It was a quick read and overall, I was satisfied with it. However, the story felt a little bit dated with good reason. It was published in 2010.
I read the first two books, Death by Appointment and Murder & Malpractice, in the Dr. Moreland Mystery series by Mairi Chong. Dr. Moreland is a Scottish GP recently released from a mental health facility. She settles back into her practice and solves two murders while dealing with her hospitalization’s consequences on her professional reputation. I gave both of the books 4 stars. I enjoyed the mysteries of each of them. But, I enjoyed that Chong is writing a complex female main character.
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard is a contemporary thriller set in Ireland. It’s also the first book I’ve read that has Covid and the resulting lockdown written into the story. We met Oliver and Ciara who meet just before Covid becomes the new normal. They decide to move in together as the shutdown forces people into “pods” to try to figure out if they can make their new attraction into something more. The timeline jumps as we get glimpses of their meeting, how the relationship progresses through lockdown, and when the police are ultimately called to the apartment when a decaying body is discovered. Can they figure out exactly what happened or has quarantine provided the killer with the perfect plan for murder? I initially gave the book three stars but as I found myself thinking about it for weeks after, I bumped it up to four! I know some authors have been reluctant to write about the pandemic because we’re still in the midst of it, but I think it worked well as a framing device for a thriller.
My favorite book this month was Finley Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. This is the second book in a cozy mystery series. Finley Donovan is a recently divorced romance author. She is mistakenly hired as a hitman to kill a shitty husband in book one. She teams up with her nanny/BFF Vero to get to the bottom of the who and the why. The second book picks up right where the first one left off. It’s a face-paced, funny mystery with strong female characters and two potential love interests for Finley. I’m already looking forward to the third book!
Finally, I listened to the audiobook, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Foley is the new locked room mystery queen. I loved her first two books, The Hunting Party and The Guest List. I liked this one too. However, the first half of the book was really slow. I considered shelving it at the halfway point because it just wasn’t doing it for me. I hung in there and the last half of the book is what saved it. Like her previous two books, this one has mostly unlikeable characters. All of the suspects and the victim are pretty terrible people. The protagonist, Jess, is the only likable character. She turns up on her brother’s doorstep in a glamourous Paris apartment only to find him missing. The building’s other tenants are the suspects in what she fears may be the murder of her brother. Like Foley’s other novels, the twists are twisty and the backstory of each of the suspects gives them all a compelling reason to get rid of Jess’ brother, Ben. The reveal is what bumped this up from a 3 star to a 4 star read for me.
I seem to be on a thriller/ mystery kick! I joked with my daughter that I like my characters either falling in love or killing each other! There is no in-between. What have you been reading lately?
