Just Jennifer

Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller (Minotaur, December 2013)

As a waitress and her later father’s diner, Daisy Hale McGovern hears plenty of local gossip, but she knows the southwestern Virginia hills hold more secrets than she could hear in a lifetime.  Four years ago, her father and her father-in-law were killed in an explosion, leaving the H&P diner in the hands of her father’s partner Hank, leaving Daisy with the care of her ill mother, with more than a few secrets of her own. When her husband Matt leaves her without a word, Daisy continues on as best as she can, but when a reclusive old man stumbles into the diner one morning and promptly dies after uttering one word, Daisy’s world, and that of those around her, will be changed forever as the hills begin to give up some of their secrets.  Two young moonshiners, Bobby and Rick Balsam are in the diner when Fred dies and though Daisy prefers to stay as far away from the young men as possible, she can’t help but feeling that Rick, at least, has noticed something more than he’s letting on, especially when he announces that earlier that year he purchased the 200-acres and house and buildings where Fred had most recently been living, known as Fox Hollow, known once to Daisy as the house she grew up in, the house that was in her family for as long as memory in Glade Hill is.  Gun-toting Aunt Emily, who is everyone and no one’s aunt, and from whom Daisy and her mother rent rooms, is certain that Fred’s death was no accident, and that Fred was complicate in the death of Daisy’s father.  Though she knows Rick and Bobby are for the most part no good, she is pretty sure there is a part of Rick at least, that is still true and decides she needs to trust him if she is to work out what has occurred.  The appearance of an ATF agent stirs things up even more putting not just Daisy and her family in harm’s way, but perhaps an entire way of life.

A debut mystery, Murder and Moonshine is plotted with the steady hand of a well-seasoned writer; the plot never waivers once the course is set and has a surprise at every turn.  The characters are well-drawn and believable; each is redeemable in their own way and will stay with you long after you finish the book.  Daisy has done a lot of living for someone who has not yet reached her thirtieth birthday and is fierce in protecting all that she holds dear, but is also willing to give anyone a second chance.  She does not brood on the past, but keeps it in her back pocket as a reminder of mistakes that people can make, hoping to learn from them and not repeat them.  As the town begins to give up its secrets, Daisy grows weary of who she can trust, learning that she can rely on herself and her family to get through the tough times.  Though there cannot be a completely happy ending, Daisy tries to make some good come out of the tragedy and unhappiness, made all the stronger from the journey.

Just Jennifer

Flying Shoes by Lisa Howorth (Bloomsbury, June 2014)

Mary Byrd Thornton has gone about her average life in Mississippi, taking care of her husband and two children, never forgetting the step-brother who was molested and murdered forty years ago and whose killer was never caught.  Now she is contacted by the police in Virginia who think they have a viable suspect but need Mary Byrd and her family to come to Virginia where they will have to confront and relive this terrible tragedy.  As Mary Byrd makes plans to travel to Virginia, she faces a tragedy in the family of her housekeeper in addition to the ghosts that haunt her own family.  On her way home to her family, she makes one more detour at the funeral of a friend, but returns home ready to be a wife and mother, maybe a little more attentive and present than before.  The plot line that explores the life of Mary Byrd and her family since the death of her step-brother and how they react to it possibly being solved after almost thirty years would be enough to sustain a strong narrative, but first time novelist Lisa Howorth adds layers of interesting, well-developed characters to further develop this already emotionally resonant plot.

Just Jennifer

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (Harper, June 10, 2014)

Maud is an elderly woman who is rapidly descending further into dementia: she has more canned peaches than she will ever eat and is certain her best friend Elizabeth is missing.  No one will listen to her leaving her more and more frustrated.  As she frantically searches for her friend she begins to drift into the past where she relives the disappearance of her sister who vanished just after World War II.  Is it possible that Maud's search for Elizabeth will help her find the key to her sister's disappearance?  The plot flows back and forth between post-World War II England and present day, no small feat for an unreliable narrator who is slowly losing her mind.  A certain amount of suspense comes from knowing that dementia may touch all of us at one point or another in our lives, either a parent, spouse, sibling or friend, if not ourselves.  Touching and honest, Elizabeth is Missing spans several genres, providing a good read that will offer many discussion topics. 

Just Jennifer

Murder with Ganache by Lucy Burdette (Obsidian, February 2014)

Key Zest lifestyle magazine food critic Hayley Snow has her plate full---a little fuller than usual.  In addition to her usual restaurant reviews, Hayley is writing a feature article on the best cupcakes in Key West and one on the Hemingway cats.  She has also agreed to bake two hundred lime cupcakes for her best friend Connie’s wedding.  Except Hayley’s cat and the new dog from down the dock have just run through and destroyed most of the cupcakes and Hayley’s dad, step-mother, step-brother and her mom and her mom’s new boyfriend are due any minute.  Hayley expects a lot of drama with all the members of her family gathered on one relatively small island, but she does not expect her step-brother to get involved in murder.

The first night on the island, Hayley and all her parents attend Connie’s Jack and Jill shower.  Rory, a sulky teenage boy is understandably bored and heads out to the town where spring break is in full swing.  His mother Alison is reluctant and admits Rory has been a handful lately, even though he has been living with his father and attending boarding school. Rory vanishes into the crowd sending Hayley and her family and friends on a wild chase looking for him.  Hayley hears word of two teenagers and a stolen Jet Ski, something Rory had been talking about since his arrival on the island (renting a Jet Ski not stealing one).  Hayley finds Rory unconscious and pretty well-worked over, though not as badly off as his female companion who is dead.  Setting aside her oven mitts, Hayley begins to look into Rory’s activities the night of Connie’s shower as she tries to piece together her step-brother’s trail that led him to the hospital and possible murder suspect.

Hayley is full of energy and even when she waivers and begins to fade, she reaches inside, reorganizes and regroups, coming out swinging.  It is evident with Hayley’s parents around that Hayley is a good mix of the two: she is kind, caring and introspective as is her father, but she has her mother’s energy and can-do attitude, though she is not as overbearing and sometimes as downright snarky as Janet can be.  Hayley followed a boyfriend to Key West and promptly became his ex-girlfriend, but she decided to stay and has found a place for herself on the island, reconnecting with several college friends and catching the eye of more than one single man.  Hayley and Connie have been best friends for what feels like forever.  Connie’s mother died when she was young and her relationship with her father was practically non-existent; the Snow’s stepped in and have been Connie’s surrogate family ever since.  The unexpected arrival of Connie’s father throws things into frenzied disarray, even prompting Connie to make a surprise announcement.  As Hayley follows the trail that led Rory into trouble, she learns more about her family, especially her step-mother, making their relationship stronger.  As Hayley tends to Connie, the same Hayley magic happens assuring a happily ever after for everyone, including it looks like, Hayley.

Hayley approaches her investigation into Rory’s disappearance and rescue as she does most things: logically and with a lot of heart.  Even though she uncovers things that may not show Rory in the best light she perseveres knowing the truth will come out, confident Rory isn't the cause of the young woman’s death.  Careful plotting allows several story lines to weave in and out of each until they are all resolved.  The sultry ocean breezes, the excitement of spring break, the lore of the Hemingway cats and lots of food---some delicious, some so-so---make for a rich and welcoming setting.  Sun, sand and good food: what could be better?  Unless there is a little mystery mixed in.

Just Jennifer

Shoot the Woman First by Wallace Stroby (Minotaur)

Professional thief Crissa Stone finds herself wondering how she got involved with some Detroit thugs interested in stealing five hundred thousand dollars of drug money that is heavily guarded.  Crissa knows it is probably an easy take, but when she brings in longtime colleague Larry Black, Black expresses some concern for their other partners, concern that is well-placed when the split goes bad, erupting in a blaze of gunfire, leaving Crissa with a bag full of stolen drug money, a dead partner and a debt to pay to Larry’s family whom she has never met.  Crissa is nothing if not savvy and careful and wends her way down to Florida where she meets Larry’s wife who is not welcoming and doesn't trust Crissa and his daughter, Haley, who at six has been damaged more than a little girl should.  Crissa doesn't approve of Claudette’s life and certainly not of her boyfriend Mapes and hangs around long enough to try and set them up with a better life, at least for Haley, a day or two long as it turns out.  Back in Detroit, Marquis Jackson is displeased with the loss of his money, to say the least, and offers former policeman Frank Burke a small reward if Burke can track down the money and return it.  It is no surprised that Burke cannot be trusted and has plans of his own for the money as he cuts a murderous swath from Detroit to Florida and right to the doorstep of Claudette and Haley where Crissa is waiting.

There are many players in this heist, all after one thing and one woman, but the pace is so fast that their paths do not cross until the last split second when necessary and then the meeting is swift, bullets are exchanged, and Crissa continues on her quest.  She doesn't particularly like Claudette and wonders if she has wasted her time bringing Larry’s share of the take, but when she meets Haley she knows she needs to give this little girl a shot, even if it is to try and make up for a failing in another part of her life.  Crissa is smart, fast and fearless about most things, but the more time she spends with Haley, the more she uncovers another side that doesn't necessarily fit in with her current lifestyle.  Stroby, a journalist uses straightforward, sparse prose, each sentence conveying much meaning without any unnecessary information.  Though she is a professional thief, Crissa is this time stealing from drug lords, giving a family a second chance with some of the proceeds, making her career choice seem a little more justified.  Fast-faced and breathless, Shoot the Woman First,  is sure to land Wallace Stroby on many “must read” crime fiction lists. 

Just Jennifer

Burnt Black by Ed Kovacs (Minotaur, 2013)

New Orleans homicide detective Cliff St. James is helping his partner Honey Baybee look for houses for her mother when they hear shots fired at a house next door and find themselves in the middle of an investigation steeped in voodoo, superstitions and alternate religions.  In the house of Robert Drake, professor of the occult, Cliff and Honey find two of his handymen dead atop an altar, evidence of recent sexual activity, but no evidence of foul play, in fact, the two men look scared to death.  Normally, Cliff, who is also a PI, and his partner only work the most confounding, high profile homicide cases, but get permission to work this case even though the two disagree on the nature of the deaths: Honey does not suspect foul-play at all.  Not even two years after Hurricane Katrina, Chief Pointer knows that sensational murders will not be good for the tourist trade in New Orleans and tells the partners to solve the case quickly and quietly.  As Cliff and Honey begin to work their way into Drake’s inner circle, they find themselves further in than just voodoo and tourist traps, but find a Mexican drug cartel who appears to be the chief supplier of the human heads Drake often requires and Cliff finds himself on the most wanted list of these evil men.  Many of the strange occurrences during the investigation, Cliff can chalk up to coincidence, not believing for a moment in hoodoo and superstition, but if that’s so, why does he continue to wear a talisman around his neck?  New Orleans is written not just as a setting, but as an old friend, with much affection for the city struggling to make a comeback after a devastating storm.  The occult occurrences are written with the degree of seriousness they need within this mystery, and not treated as a touristy gimmick; the plot is well-laid out with several surprises along the way.  The final surprise involving one of the characters Cliff encounters during his investigation, is  a little unbelievable given what Cliff knows, learned and didn’t learn, but does allow him to mark closed to one aspect of his life, though this may not be the best way to do it. 

Just Jennifer

Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur, May 6, 2014)

Young Brooklyn journalist Rebekah Roberts finds herself covering the brutal death of a young Hasidic mother, a story that draws Rebekah into a world she knows little about other than it is the world that belongs to the mother who abandoned her as a young child.  As Rebekah goes after a story that she hopes will keep her fledgling career afloat, she finds herself drawn closer to the life her mother tried to escape for love and her daughter, but made to the decision to return to, leaving Rebekah questioning her past while seeking her future.  In addition to being a fascinating portrait of life in a Hasidic community, Invisible City is a well-written crime novel with many unexpected twists and turns and a satisfying if disturbing conclusion. 

Just Jennifer

The Book of You by Claire Kendal (Harper, May 2014)

As a young woman serves on a jury for the trial of men accused of kidnapping and raping another young woman, she struggles to escape from a stalker she let into her life one evening.  Now Clarissa finds herself always looking over her shoulder in terror, but is made uncertain as she watches the trial unfold, whether she will ever be able to stop the stalker and if anyone will believe she is the unwilling recipient of the unwanted attention.  Taught plotting blurs the line between realities, causing Clarissa’s anxieties to rise as she struggles to get a grasp on a sense of normalcy and be free of her mental captor once and for all.  As events in Clarissa’s life threaten to control her, they collide in an unexpected way, reshaping her future in surprising ways.