Prologue to Murder - the second Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery

As the year comes to a close, I can't think of a better way of ending it than reading a murder mystery being solved by a woman who owns a bookstore.  Two things I love - mysteries and bookstores - combined in one story makes for great reading, and a strong, likable protagonist certainly doesn't hurt!  And Addie Greybourne is just that - a strong-willed, determined woman who doesn't let anything, or anyone, get in her way of solving a mystery.  And it doesn't matter that she's surrounded by townspeople who don't particularly care for her, but when she becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, well, it doesn't make things easy for her.

Prologue to Murder finds Addie trying to get her bookstore going strong after the events of the last book. She helped Police Chief Marc Chandler solve a murder, and so one would think she would be on stable ground. But, no, because the local librarian has gone missing and the gossip columnist for the local newspaper points the finger right at Addie! Marc doesn't believe she had anything to do with it, nor does her best friend (and Marc's sister) Serena. Of course, when the librarian turns up dead, and Marc's ex-fiance Lacey shows up in town, it's certain that Addie is going to find herself in the middle of things once again.

Author Lauren Elliott provides plenty of twists and turns in her second "Beyond the Page Bookstore" mystery. A librarian's death appears to be an accident - she seems to have fallen down a ladder. But forensics shows a blow to the head may be the real cause of death, so the question Addie must answer is - who wanted June Winslow dead, and why? The local gossip columnist, known only as Miss Newsy, appears to be gunning for Addie - and she's not the only one! Marc's ex, Lacey, has blown into town, and she has set her sights on rekindling that old romance; but to do so, she will have to get Addie out of the picture. To Addie's dismay, not only does it look like Marc is falling for the conniving pariah's tricks, but so is Serena, who has suddenly let Lacey become a partner in her tea shop! Lacey has everyone wrapped around her little finger, leaving Addie to try and figure out who killed June Winslow on her own.

Well, not quite on her own...

A very handsome doctor by the name of Simon Emerson has entered the picture. After a slight mishap (in which Addie and Marc are finally acknowledging their feelings for each other and she slips and says "David"), Addie and Marc aren't speaking. So, who could blame her for going out with a handsome doctor? Especially when he seems to have no problem with her investigating a murder - in fact, he actually helps her! But as attractive as he may be, deep down, Addie still has feelings for Marc. So, now not only does she have to solve a murder and clear her name, but she has to figure out exactly who she really loves before she ends up losing both men in her life!

Oh yeah, on top of all of this, Addie has been invited to host the ladies' local book club at her bookstore.  As if she didn't already have her hands full.

It was rather fun to follow along with Addie as she weeds through the numerous possibilities of who wanted June dead, why did they want her dead, and exactly how did they kill her. With all of the distractions, it certainly was not easy to figure out, but then again, in real life, is anything clear cut and without distraction?  Never!  Plus, with a possible buried pirate treasure, this book has all the makings of a great mystery!

One last thing that I just have to mention - the world's most popular female detective, Nancy Drew, gets a mention in this book. On page 149, when asking the good Dr. Emerson for help, he comments about her detective skills by saying, "Good work, Nancy Drew." And don't think that I missed the Emerson reference, either (Nancy Drew fans will easily recognize that as the name of the college where Nancy's boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, was a student). No mystery book with a female lead is complete without at least one Nancy Drew reference!

RATING:  10 original manuscripts out of 10 for keeping me guessing up until pretty much near the end as to the identity of the killer!

The Backstagers and the Theater of the Ancients (Backstagers Book Two)

Actor and writer Andy Mientus returns to the world of the Backstagers with this second novel in his series based on the BOOM! Studios comic book. Now, I'm going to be up front and honest - as I started to read this book, even though I read the first one and remember pretty much the plot of that story, I did have a difficult time remembering each of the characters. Because I don't read the comic book, so am not overly familiar with the Backstagers, I had to refer back to the cover with the introduction of each character in the story, so that I could get a visual image of the characters as they appeared in the book.  Once I had them in my mind, though, the story flowed pretty easily.

The Backstagers and the Theater of the Ancients once again finds the backstage crew at St. Genesius Prep up to their necks in trouble and adventure. Having resolved the mystery of the ghost light, it now safely tucked in the great auditorium down the halls behind the "Unsafe Door," the crew is ready to get to work on the next play, Tammy - a rock opera about a young deaf girl! But what at first everyone thinks will be an easy show - after all, these kinds have become experts in their respective backstage positions - becomes a near tragedy, because everything is thrown into chaos when everyone has to assume new roles!  Beckett suddenly finds himself in the director's chair when Blake throws a temper tantrum and storms out! Sasha unexpectedly finds himself on his own in the lighting booth, having to figure everything out for himself. Aziz is forced to create and build the entire set by himself, while Reo must handle not only the props, but costumes as well!  Hunter has his hands full with stage managing, and Jory? Well, Jory has suddenly become obsessed with social media - so much so, that he his work as costume designer has been passed on to Reo, and the magical Designer's Notebook has been laid to the side, unused. But not unwanted....

An unexpected invitation to Greece has Jory quitting the backstagers and flying off on his own to what he thinks will be a fantastic opportunity. He takes the Designer's Notebook along (just in case he gets inspired to do some designs for the show, despite his having quit the show), unaware that he is walking into a trap.  Someone wants the Notebook, someone who's intentions are not exactly benevolent in nature. And back at St. Genesius, Tammy is not coming together at all.  Even the idea of having two actresses handle the leading role - one deaf and one hearing - does not seem to be enough to save the show. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and Beckett is beginning to realize that this may be the first show at St. Genesius to never actually make it to the stage.

Mientus provides another look at the chaos that is the backstage life of the theater. He hits the nail on the head with a lot of the conflict that occurs, the mishaps, and the many, many, MANY trials and errors when it comes to costuming, lighting, and props, as well as blocking and set-building. While the finished project may come across so seamlessly, anyone who has ever worked in theater can attest to the fact that what these backstagers go through in their production of Tammy is pretty much an every day thing for actors, directors, stage managers, and every other backstager. With my own experience in the community theaters here locally, it makes the reading of this series all the more enjoyable.

However, all that being said, the one thing about this book that TRULY made me smile and captured my interest even more than the theater aspect is the use of Adrienne, a young deaf girl who takes on the lead role in the production of Tammy! Mientus captures so many nuances about deaf culture and how people view deaf people and the accommodations that can be made to utilize a deaf actress to actually play a deaf character on stage - there is no way I can imagine Mientus not having had some experience with deaf people in his own life.  Adrienne is portrayed very realistically, and the use of sign language throughout the book (with artist Rian Sygh providing some great visuals of the signs themselves!). Kudos to Mientus for remembering that this idea of "all-inclusiveness" should also include deaf people!

The gang, of course, rescues Jory and save the day (in quite a wild and fun way), and the overarching story becomes a bit more clear, as the kids now have three of the magical theater artifacts that a certain unknown someone is trying to get ... and if that cliffhanger at the end is any indication, the backstagers may end up having to fight someone they thought they could trust over those artifacts in upcoming books!

RATING:  9 God mics out of 10 for creating a story with a wide variety of characters who are there for one another through thick and thin and can solve a mystery amidst all the chaos that is theater!

Mary Perkins, On Stage - Volume Two

It was with great pleasure that I finally was able to read the second volume of Leonard Starr's Mary Perkins, On Stage collected newspaper strips.  I relished the first volume, with its young, shining star who lives a soap opera life in New York in the 1950s.  I am amazed, with each daily strip, how Starr was able to maintain fast-paced storytelling, all the while providing readers with unbelievable build-up, ongoing subplots, and drama, romance, and action that rival some of daily soap operas on television today!

Before I even get started about the stories in this volume, I have to talk about the art.  Leonard Starr has some of the most expressive faces I have ever seen in a comic panel.  Without his characters saying one word, it is easy to tell what they are thinking or feeling - whether it be sad, angry, surprised, scheming, or any other emotion - - Starr has the ability to draw his characters in such a way that the reader is drawn into those emotions.  I think it helps make the stories all the more real and captures the readers' attention even more.  There are no "stiff" or "cardboard cut-out" characters in his strip.  Each character, both major and minor, are all brought fully to life through the art.  And the backgrounds!  It is amazing just how detailed some of those backgrounds can be - from scenes of the city in the last panel of the very first strip to shrubbery and plants to the castle in the last story.  Amazing, utterly amazing!

Now, on the stories in this volume...

The first story is a little bit light-hearted, as Mary finds a new acting job - and she'll be the star! But only if the producers can get an old Vaudevillian who, unbeknownst to any of them, is down on his luck and determined to make this play his comeback - even if it costs Mary her reputation!  Of course, things start turning serious when a television host makes the moves on Mary in order to help advance her career - and when she spurns his advances, well ... you can pretty much guess what happens from there.  Moving right along, the next story gets off to a start with the sudden appearance of shy little Magnolia Peachtree Dade (what a name!), who is not necessarily everything she first appears to be - and before you know it, Mary is being followed, Magnolia is taking advantage of Mary's generosity, and a mysterious suitcase turns out to be an important clue as to a bank robber's ill-gotten gains!

As with any good continuing drama, one story leads into another, and the resolution of Magnolia's tale leads right into Mary's next adventure, where she tries her hand at some summer stock - and where she meets the self-absorbed Jed Potter.  But as anyone knows, an outside persona can hide something completely different inside, as Mary soon learns. But, tragically, this story does not have a happy ending by any means.  Which leads readers to the next story, in which Mary is tricked into becoming a Hollywood starlet - but is the cost too high?  Enter: the enigmatic Johnny Q - an alleged gangster who saves the day and worms his way right into Mary's heart!  (You didn't really think there would be a continuing drama like this without any romance, did you?)  Of course, this sets the stage for the final story and the unexpected return of ... Pete Fletcher! 

It's the final story that I truly liked the best - a mystery, a creepy old castle, a ghost, and a "phantom" type leading man that turns Mary into a sleuthing actress as she tries to figure out who is sabotaging the production in which she is currently starring.  Johnny Q, Pete Fletcher, and a whole slew of backstabbing, conniving, jealous, bitter, and downright vicious supporting characters keep the action going, the stories engaging, and the characters thriving.  I don't know if anyone can truly compare to Leonard Starr when it comes to daily-strip storytelling!

RATING:  10 special German watches out of 10 for so easily drawing me into the life of Mary Perkins and making me truly care about what happens next!

Boystown, Season Five

Previously in Boystown ... Jacqueline is about to give birth to her child prematurely - will it survive?  Logan has made the decision to take his own life - will he survive?  One young man falls over the balcony to crash to the cement below - will he survive? Two other young men are hit by a speeding car - will either survive?  And meanwhile, a group of unsuspecting members of the Mancini and Ciancio families are flying to California for the wedding of Gino and Justin, when the plane crashes - who will survive?

It's easy to see why anyone would rush to read Season Five of Boystown to find out how all of these cliffhangers are resolved!  Author Jake Biondi maintains his television-style storytelling, with each chapter an "episode," and the drama that builds and builds with each episode is beyond anything Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, or any other nighttime soap could ever hope to compare!  The feud between the Mancini and Ciancio families continues to escalate and become more and more deadly as more and more secrets about both families are revealed.  And the drama extends well beyond the two families, as their friends get caught up with adultery, blackmail, and murder like there's no tomorrow.  Of course, based on those cliffhangers, for some of these characters, there is no tomorrow...

Biondi opens this season immediately following the events of season four.  (NOTE - going forward, there are spoilers, so if you don't want to know what happens, then I suggest going to read season five first, then come back for this review!)  Adam looks down at Dustin, who has just fallen down from the balcony above and lies silent on the concrete, blood forming around his body.  Cole looks down from above, shocked at what he sees!  Later, they arrive at the hospital, only to discover Jesse there - instead of going to California for the wedding, he got off the plane and rushed to Logan's house, only to discover that he overdosed in an attempt to kill himself.  Both Dustin and Logan are now fighting for their lives - but they aren't the only ones!  Jensen is being prepped for surgery after having been hit by the speeding car, and Keith is unable to reach Emmett by phone to let him know.  Hugo is looking for Rachel, but she is with Ben, who is satisfied with the bomb he placed aboard the plane heading for California - unfortunately for him, he's nothing more than a loose end for Rachel, and we know how she handles loose ends...

And yes, the plane crashes with all on board - and sadly, not everyone makes it out.  What was intended to be a wedding and joyous occasion turns into a solemn funeral for loved ones taken way too soon.  Gino and Justin postpone their wedding, and unexpectedly, Gino's aunt, Camille, arrives at the Ciancio mansion, looking to stake her claim.  But, as with any good soap, she has much more devious plans in store and she is hiding a secret that will affect everyone in both families!

While some mysteries are resolved (such as who shot Derek and who is the father of Joyelle's baby), other mysteries begin to surface - such as what are the Mancinis hiding in the winery that they don't want anyone to discover?  What doe that key unlock that Gino now holds half of and Camille is desperate to find?  Who is stalking Cole and to what lengths will he go to make Cole his forever?  Who killed Ben and who will take the fall for it?  Biondi has a way of quickly drawing you into the storylines and actually caring about (and hating!) some of the characters - and like any well-written soap, each episode moves the stories at a good pace, introduces new stories, mysteries, and characters, while solving other mysteries, concluding other stories, and eliminating other characters (because you don't want the "show" to be bogged down with so many characters that you can't keep track!).

The sex scenes remain prevalent throughout this book, as with prior books, but it is interesting that Biondi inserts (no pun intended!) considerably more straight couple sexual situations than he does gay in this book.  Rachel is by far making her rounds with all of the straight men in Boystown, and she is a conniving, scheming, lying, backstabbing, murderous villain that you can't help but love.  And with the introduction of Camille, Rachel may have finally met her match!  With of these two villainous vixens will come out on top?

Once again, Biondi leaves readers with more than one cliffhanger:  gunshots with two bodies falling overboard from Gino's yacht; Cole is kidnapped and held captive by his stalker; Derek arrives at his honeymoon suite, expecting to see Cole, but finding someone else instead; someone takes Joyelle's baby, leaving Joyelle on the hospital floor, not moving; Hugo finds Jensen with a bloody knife, holding a lifeless body in his lap; David and Adam get ready to make use of the suite intended for Derek and Cole, only to have the room explode; Michael is poisoned and falls to the ground; and someone thought dead prepares to make his return to Chicago to wreak havoc on both the Mancini and Ciancio families!

If that's not enough to bring you back for season six, I don't know what is!

RATING:  9 cop cards with graffiti slurs out of 10 for the sizzling, sexy, scheming, scintillating, steamy, sensational soap story that is Boystown!

The Second Enchantment Lake Mystery - The Clue in the Trees

While this is technically the second "Northwoods Mystery," the publishers decided to take the title of the first book and re-name the series after that, making this an "Enchantment Lake Mystery" instead.  But, that's okay.  As long as the writing is good, the plots are believable, and the characters are engaging and enjoyable to read, they can call the series whatever they'd like.  And since this second book in the series succeeds in all three categories, then let's take a look at the second Enchantment Lake Mystery!

The Clue in the Trees is a bit misleading, since the only thing that our protagonist, Francesca (Francie) Frye (a/k/a "French Fry" or "little Frenchie"), finds in the trees is a hand spade, and quite frankly, that little hand spade does not really provide a clue to anything.  It certainly does not provide a clue as to who killed Dr. Digby, the cantankerous old archaeologist that everyone had reason to hate.  And the author, I think, has a little fun with this, since Francie gains some new sidekicks in this book - two new friends from school, Raven and Jay - and Jay provides Francie with some proposed names for her latest mystery (that she insists she is not going to get involved in trying to solve!) - "The Perplexing Puzzle of the Perished Paleontologist" or "The Theory of the Three Thoughtful Thespians" or "The Bewildering Breach of the Buried Bones" or ... well, you get the gist.

Alliterated titles aside, The Clue in the Trees does provide Francie and her friends with a perplexing and bewildering mystery to solve.  Francie, who heard her brother arguing with Digby on the day he died and later saw him washing his hands in the lake after she discovered his body, is determined to stay out of it.  Despite the fact that everyone in town calls her the Northwoods Nancy Drew (yes, everyone's favorite pop culture icon gets referenced more than once in this book!), Francie does not want to solve this one.  Her brother Theo, who has returned under mysterious circumstances and has been keeping secrets from her, such as what really happened to their mother, seems to be prime suspect number one, and since all evidence points to him, Francie does not want to know.  But circumstances conspire against her, and although she auditions for and gets the lead role in the school's play as a distraction, she still can't avoid following the clues that fall into her lap.  Particularly when they lead her in the direction of that mysterious silver box that belonged to her mother...

Yes, you remember that box she saw at the mansion across the lake in the last book, right?  Well, it returns in this book, and Francie wants to find it more than anything.  She believes it is her last connection to her mother.  But if she found it without any difficulty, then where would the drama be?  Author Margi Preus continues to keep things not-so-easy for Francie as she continues to search for answers to her family's past.  In the meantime, she is also finding herself drawn more and more into the mystery surrounding Digby's death and how her brother fits into everything.  There are some surprising twists along the way, and the ultimate resolution is somewhat out of left field (and a bit beyond belief - but a quick search on the internet shows that the reason for Digby's death is an actual thing, so when you read it and think how crazy it sounds, go look - it's based on fact!), but Preus does provide a climactic chase through underground tunnels, a hidden passage, and a battle with a villain holding a very large kitchen knife!

All-in-all, a very satisfying read and a great mystery - and while I don't see any more solicited on Amazon yet, my fingers are crossed that a third mystery will be forthcoming!

RATING:  10 pieces of mastodon bones out of 10 for giving readers an older teen detective with great characters, a well-plotted mystery, and an underlying subplot throughout the series!