"The Proof Is In The Pudding"

Melinda Wells continues her Della Cooks Mysteries series with "The Proof Is In The Pudding" which includes recipes just like her previous books. However, I'm more interested in the current murder she's out to solve.

Phil Logan, the Public Relations specialist at the TV station where Della has a cooking show, lands her a job subbing as a judge in a cooking contest after one of the celebrity judges has to bow out at the last minute. Although Della doesn't feel she's a celebrity, Phil insists and the opportunity to wear designer clothes while being photographed judging has its appeal so it doesn't take much convincing.

But....when one of the judges is killed in a mysterious "accident" near Della, she's concerned suspicion will fall on her surrogate daughter because she'd confided in Della that the judge had been blackmailing her. The girl's parents are at the gala event and her police officer father has already managed to "deck" the judge before he's murdered so suspicion also is gravitating towards him and he's not allowed to be part of the investigation.

While sleuthing, Della is interviewing other contestants and judges and one judge is shot during their late night meeting at a coffee shop. As Della continues investigating, her life is also threatened. Will she be able to finish this investigation alive and clear her friends from suspicion? You'll have to read the book to find out!

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"Desert Noir"

"Desert Noir" is author Betty Webb's first Lena Jones mystery. Lena Jones was shot and left for dead at age four and has the scar to remind her. That experience plus living in a series of foster homes has left her afraid to form close attachments so she holds friends - and the man in her life, Dusty (a real live cowboy) - at arm's length.

Lena recently decided to retire from the police force after being shot in the line of duty and has opened a detective agency with Pima Indian, Jimmy Sisiwan - a computer whiz. Lena's home is above their office in old Scottsdale in the heart of art gallery row. When a local heiress and art gallery owner, Clarice Kobe (who befriended Lena when she moved into the area) is murdered, Lena is more than willing to hunt down the killer. She sees Clarice's abusive husband as the most likely suspect but her pursuit of justice also leads to her exploration of Clarice's family as well as enemies Clarice might have made. Ultimately, solving this murder puts Lena's life at risk again and uncovers some family secrets that throw suspicion on all of Clarice's family as well as painting a not so nice picture of the murder victim herself.

While pursuing one of her leads, secrets of Lena's are also uncovered as one of her "suspects" knows the Hispanic woman who discovered 4 year old, Lena, lying by the highway and took her to a local hospital. Lena has always wondered about this woman who didn't stay to tell her story.

An ultimate showdown with a killer almost ends Lena's life but it also uncovers a bizarre twist to this story -- don't miss it! I'm already looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

Webb is a great writer -- creating word pictures of the Arizona landscape as well as sharing local history with the reader that not only enhances the story line but enlightens the reader about some of the issues of the area.


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"Veil of Night"

"Veil of Night" is the first book I can remember reading by Linda Howard and it has me searching for more of her work. Jaclyn Wilde and her mother are successful wedding planners but this time Jaclyn has her hands full with Carrie Edwards, the bride from hell. Carrie is making life miserable for everyone Jaclyn brings to help plan Carrie's "perfect" wedding so there is no end of suspects when Carrie is found murdered -- including Jaclyn. As it turns out, Jaclyn also had a brief but passionate night with Detective Eric Wilder who is helping solve Carrie's murder. Detective Wilder has too many suspects to wade through but when Jaclyn also becomes a target,his interest in solving the case intensifies.

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"Killing Neptune's Daughter"

"Killing Neptune's Daughter" is Randall Peffer's first novel. Billy Bagwell (aka Bagman or Bagger) is called home by one of his best friends (Zal, now a priest)to attend the funeral of a mutual childhood friend, Tina Werlin,who was murdered in New York.

Billy's friends believe he somehow holds the key to who murdered Tina and why - which he denies. However, as he begins to relive some of the darker aspects of his growing up years while reconnecting with his friends, his life is threatened on two separate occasions as he begins to unpeel the layers of his past. The memories that surface lead he and his friends to the killer among them while putting their lives in danger.

This is as much a psychological thriller as it is a murder mystery but the darkness of the story might be unappealing to many. Although it is a well written story, it's not one I'd choose to read again.

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"Evil Eclairs"

"Evil Eclairs" is the 4th book in Jessica Beck's Donut Shop Mystery series. Although it's another quick, enjoyable read, it does make me wonder how many more people can be killed off in such a small town without a serious decline in the population!

Suzanne Hart, owner of Donut Hearts, finds herself being maligned by the local radio host -- nothing new for whoever he chooses to feature on his show -- but it doesn't sit well with Suzanne. Her visit to the radio station to tell him off does not go unnoticed so it's not surprising that she might be a suspect in his murder -- especially when one of her eclairs is stuffed in his mouth!

Suzanne is reunited with her often absent boyfriend, Jake, a police investigator, when a request for him to investigate this local murder interrupts his vacation. Suzanne and her best friend are not content to sit back and let him do all the sleuthing. However,their assistance leads to the serious injury of a close friend and also puts Suzanne's life at risk.

If you enjoy a quick, easy, light mystery, Jessica Beck's series may be for you!

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"The Extra Man"

I picked up the DVD, "The Extra Man," at the library and tried to watch it with my husband but he quickly lost interest. It stars Kevin Kline and features Katie Holmes so I decided to give it another try on my own before returning it to the library. I'm sorry to say the hype, "Kevin Kline's funniest role in years," by the New York Times didn't match my impression of the film. Long story short - I found it disappointing except for maybe the last 5-10 minutes so, if I hadn't fallen asleep a couple of times, I would have considered it a complete waste of my time. Thumbs down in my opinion!

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Dark of the Moon

I don't think I can praise high enough P. J. Parrish's "Dark Of The Moon." This is the sister writing team's first novel in the Louis Kincaid series and it is very well written. I am impressed with their ability to weave historical facts into their novels to give them a realistic touch. I can't begin to imagine the amount of research that must go into their books. In addition, they have the ability to delve into the psychological meanings behind their character's actions.

Louis Kincaid is the son of a black woman and a white man who abandoned the family shortly after Louis was born. Eventually, the state took Louis and his half-siblings away from their drunken mom and Louis was placed in foster care with a family in Michigan. It's not until a friend of his mother's summons him home to Black Pool, MS, (because his mother is dying) that Louis has a chance to confront his past and its impact on the present.

Louis manages to land a job with the local police department as a detective through a phone interview so it's a bit of a shock to the department when a black man shows up. When the bones of a young man are discovered buried under a tree in a remote country location by a hunter, the locals want to bury the past along with the crimes against Negroes in the 1960's. Louis won't let it lie, though, because he feels compelled to find the answers to this long ago mystery and, in doing so, puts his life and those of others in peril. What appears to be a Ku Klux Klan "routine" hanging turns out to be much more and Louis ends up accused of murder himself. It's only with help from some unlikely sources that he's able to clear his name and solve a decades old mystery.

If you're a mystery lover, don't miss this one!

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