What I'm Reading
Two Cozy Mysteries and a Re-release of a Classic Heist Novel
Cutting Remarks
by Christine Falcone
This is the third in Falcone’s Melanie Bass mysteries. Melanie, a visiting nurse, finds herself drawn into another murder investigation in her idyllic shoreline town of Guilford, CT when her best friend, Lynn Duncan becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her mother-in-law-to-be. The police are convinced that Lynn was fed up with the sharp tongue of her fiancée's mother, Diana Drover, but Melanie knows her friend would never resort to murder.
Melanie courts trouble in her investigation of the many suspects who could have wanted the abrasive Mrs. Drover dead, all while balancing her job responsibilities and what little time she has left for her increasingly worried boyfriend Justin, and her adorable dog Bruno. Falcone crafts an engaging mystery with remarkable twists and stunning views.
Available now in paperback and ebook.
Bait and Swiss
By Korina Moss
Who doesn’t love cheese? Or maybe you prefer chocolate? The 6th installment of Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mysteries has both! But it isn’t too sweet. When Willa, the owner of Curds and Whey and a fine amateur sleuth, finds out her former fiancée, Pearce, and her former best friend, Riley, are in Yarrow Glen to open a pop-up Chocolate Shop, she’s not too pleased. She’s even less happy when a reporter covering the opening is poisoned and Willa becomes the prime suspect.
Filled with all of the quirky characters of Yarrow Glen that readers have come to love, and all of the wacky and dangerous situations Willa gets herself into (there are some truly entertaining moments of physical comedy), Bait and Swiss continues Moss’s series with typical aplomb. The recipes at the end are winners too!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
Bait and Swiss will be out April 29, 2025.
To Catch a Thief
By David Dodge
A re-release of the 1951 classic that became a movie starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. The mysterious jewel thief known as Le Chat (the Cat) has returned to the Riviera. The only problem is that the real Le Chat, American John Robie, knows this one is a copycat.
Robie is living quietly and comfortably in the area, having left behind his life of crime, when news of daring jewel heists reach him. With the authorities searching for him anew, Robie must go on the run, straight to the heart of the crimes: the hotels, casinos, and beaches where the Cat is operating, to lay a trap for the imposter, before the police catch Robie and charge him with crimes he did not commit.
Dodge’s characters are engaging. His prose is beautiful. And the plot is full of twists. This edition includes notes, which you could ignore, but you would be missing out. They definitely make the story much more approachable for a 21st century reader.
Often, returning to books and movies that we remember affectionately can reveal changing expectations in what is acceptable behavior. In many ways Dodge’s book holds up well. The women in this story have just as much agency as the men, and they are richer characters for it. Moreover, while it would never be labeled a “propulsive, action-packed thriller,” the pace is sufficiently quick. I enjoyed the sweeping descriptions of the Riviera and the wealthy who frequented the area. And I had forgotten the twist at the end, which I found very satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.
Out April 1