"Glazed Murder"

"Glazed Murder" by Jessica Beck is her first in a series of Donut Shop Mysteries featuring newly divorced Suzanne Hart who used her divorce settlement to open Donut Hearts coffee shop in her home town of April Springs, North Carolina. Running a donut shop means early morning hours and long days (every day!) with the part-time help of a single employee. It's during her early morning baking that Suzanne has a dead body dumped at the front door of her shop. Although everyone is telling her not to investigate because she could be putting her own life at risk, she doesn't listen. She's afraid the killer thinks she knows who he is so she sets out to find him first. As she snoops, she upsets a few of her fellow townspeople.

The married chief of police who wanted to marry her widowed mother when they were young,seems to have no patience with Suzanne so she enlists the help of a retired policeman to aid her in her investigation.

In the meantime, Max, her ex-husband, is making overtures at wooing her again but she's not forgiving his marital infidelity. When Jake Bishop, a state police inspector, is called to town to help in the investigation, a chance for a new romance appears to blow into town with him. However, Suzanne's penchant for investigation may be putting her as well as her friends and family at risk.

I found this to be a fun mystery read and the inclusion of recipes throughout the book is reminiscent of Diane Mott Davidson's mystery series.
If you're looking for a "light" mystery that is a quick read, this is it. I enjoyed it so much that I already have her second book in hand.

pazt

"Frag Box"

"Frag Box" by Richard A. Thompson appears to be the second book in the Herman Jackson mystery series. The first book was "Fiddle Game" and, although "Frag Box" was published in 2009, I have yet to find another book out in this series. I am really enjoying the Herman Jackson mysteries so I'm hoping there are more on the horizon!

When a former homeless, Vietnam vet client (who paid his bail in cash) is beaten to death, he names Jackson as his heir. What does a homeless man have that is valuable enough to cause his murder? Ultimately,Jackson finds himself teamed up with a female newspaper reporter trying to solve the murder as well as find his inheritance while trying not to be killed themselves. It's another well written mystery by Thompson with plenty of surprises. I recommend you don't miss this sequel.

pazt

"Fiddle Game"

Richard A. Thompson's, "Fiddle Game," is the first of what I hope will be a long and successful series featuring bail bondsman, Herman Jackson.

Herman Jackson has set himself up as a bail bondsman in St. Paul running away from his former life. When a young woman comes to him using a valuable violin as collateral to bail her brother out of jail, he takes the bait then watches as she is murdered in front of his office. When he sets out to uncover her murderer, the trail takes him to a crooked cop,
Gypsies, and puts his own life at risk. Along the way, he discovers some unusual sources of assistance.

This is a mystery full of unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end. I want to thank my spouse for finding this book at our library and introducing me to it after he finished it -- and for not spoiling the story for me by giving away any of it before I read it!

pazt