I continued with series debuts in September – and one series epilogue that introduced me to an author that I must read more of!

Any of these tickle your fancy?

RING IN THE DEAD by J.A. Jance (mystery/Crime Fiction, Police Detective, Novella, Epilogue)
This was a Kindle novella that I received free as part of a promotion for Jance’s work. It’s also available in paperback.

The protagonist, J.P. Beaumont, is retired from policing when some papers belonging to his deceased ex-partner surface and raise perplexing questions. J.P. reminisces about a particular case with said partner and does some current sleuthing to find the answers.

I thought the whole package—J. P., the mystery, the writing—quite classy. This is my first Jance and it did the job it was intended to do: I’m starting at the beginning of this series of 21 books and if the first couple live up to the promise displayed in the novella, I will happily read the series through, and meet up with J.P. in retirement again.

Read this if: you’ve never read Jance’s Beaumont series and want the perfect intro; or if you’ve read the series through and mourned when J.P. hung up his gun – here’s a tidbit more for you. 4 stars

 

THE PERICLES COMMISSION by Gary Corby (Mystery Fiction, Amateur Sleuth, Ancient Greece)

This stars Nicolaos, a young Athenian in 461 BCE, just after the (still unsolved) assassination of Ephialtes, the man credited with bringing democracy to Athens.

It’s cozy mystery meets history lesson. Corby presents a plausible solution to the real-life crime.

Read this if: you want a fun introduction to ancient Greek, particularly Athenian, culture & political history. 3½ stars

 

BURIED IN A BOOK (A Novel Idea Mystery) by Lucy Arlington (Mystery Fiction, Amateur Sleuth, Cozy, Bibliophilic)

Lila Wilkins, out of her journalist job at 45, moves to a small North Carolina town where she obtains work reading manuscripts at the local literary agency, A Novel Idea. This is a cozy mystery with the attendant plot coincidences.

Since it’s been some months since I read this, I really can’t remember much more about it but, at the time, I rated it 3½ stars.
 

ERASING MEMORY by Scott Thornley (Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Canadian)

Okay, this one I remember – but not fondly. MacNeice, police detective in the southern Ontario Canada industrial city of Dundurn, investigates the murder of a beautiful young musician.

I was interested in this book chiefly because Dundurn is really Hamilton, Ontario, our “hometown” for 12 years before we moved to Nova Scotia. To my disappointment, the city doesn’t really play much of a part in the story which was a little far-fetched and hard-edged to suit me.

Read this if: you enjoy tough police procedurals or you’re a long-time Hamiltonian who’s looking for a new series. 3 stars

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