A CAT-ASTROPHIC NEIGHBORHOOD by Maryann Shanesy

Fiction, Cozy Mystery (235 pages)

3***

Blurb: Tarsey Quinston, her husband Steve, and their newly adopted cat move to the upscale community of Bluffington Hills, where the neighborhood isn’t as idyllic as they hoped. As the couple settles into their new home and meets their quirky neighbors, they encounter the angry property manager who patrols the neighborhood on a Segway, handing out trash can violations and disrupting the neighborhood yard sale. Tarsey quickly realizes that mystery overshadows the picturesque community. Tarsey finds out that the town seamstress died under suspicious circumstances, and her cat bore a striking resemblance to the one Tarsey has just taken in.Could this be the same cat that belonged to the seamstress, and what really happened to her? As the layers of perfection are peeled away and drama within the Homeowners Association causes uproar between the residents, the property manager and Tarsey’s cat suddenly go missing. Now desperate to find her beloved pet, Tarsey must solve the mystery of what happened to all three of them before there is a CATastrophic situation!

Thoughts: This was a cute cozy mystery that had interesting characters placed in a gated community. There’s a strange woman who rides around on a Segway yelling at everyone and fining them for the smallest infraction of the rules. And feuding neighbors—one who plays steel drums and the other who plays opera—loudly—to drown out the drums. Tarsey and Steve aren’t sure moving to this neighborhood was a good choice. But the best part is the cat who finds them and leads them to the killer.

The only problem I had with the story was the over abundance of fluff and repetition. There was one 3-page section that could have been summed up in one sentence. There’s actually quite a few places like this. But overall, this was a cute story with a satisfying ending.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

FLOP DEAD GORGEOUS by David Rosenfelt

Fiction, Mystery, #27 in series (272 pages)

4****

Blurb: Lights, camera, action in bestselling author David Rosenfelt’s Flop Dead Gorgeous, as Andy Carpenter goes bicoastal to prove an old friend’s innocence. Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols—Andy’s high school girlfriend—the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right. Andy doesn’t hold it against his friend. In fact, he and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, there’s a plot twist the next morning that none of them see coming: Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services. While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.

Thoughts: This wasn’t your typical cozy mystery. Most of them have bakers or shopkeepers, or some other amateur sleuth who swoops in to solve the mystery. This one has a criminal defense lawyer and his team on the case in question. That doesn’t make it any less compelling. Especially with this particular lawyer. Andy is supposedly retired, married, and has a foundation to help find homes for dogs. A long time ago, in high school, he dated a girl who has become a famous movie star. And now she’s been accused of murder. While trying to convince everyone he meets that he once dated the gorgeous star.

What I liked: that the “sleuth” is something different than the norm. And that things don’t always go his way. He also has a team already in place—experts to help him. This is definitely not your typical cozy mystery. But it is still light enough to be one instead of a thriller mystery. Also, the dogs are a cute touch.

What I didn’t like: Nothing, really. It’s a good story with a satisfying ending.

Recommendation: For something a little different than the standard cozy, pick this one up.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY IN THE USA

KAT OUT OF THE BAG by Wendy Kendall

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, (344 pages)

4****

Blurb: When celebrated international purse designer, Katherine Watson, hosts a gala for her Purse-onality Museum, she never expected the next day’s headline to read: ‘Murder at the Gala Premiere.’ But after a dead body is found during the event, that’s exactly what happened. Working to solve the murder, Katherine matches wits with local cop Jason Holmes and his K-9 partner, Hobbs. Although Holmes and Watson disagree often, they discover an undeniable attraction building between them. But they’ll have to put their feelings on hold and focus on solving the murder, before Katherine becomes the killer’s next knock off.

Thoughts: Wow, talk about high fashion when it comes to purses. I had no idea there was so much to know about purses and their history. In this story, Katherine (Kat) Watson has opened a purse museum in the small town of Bayside, Washington. She usually splits her time between LA and NY, running her high fashion purse company. At the gala to celebrate the opening of the museum, her friend (who is the mayor of the town) is murdered. Katherine is pulled into the investigation—and a possible romantic interest with the K-9 officer, Jason Holmes.

The characters in the story are fascinating. Not only Katherine and Jason, but Jason’s partner  Hobbs (who only responds to German commands when working), and Katherine’s sleek cat Purrada. There is also MJ (MoonJava), Katherine’s mother who harkens back to a 60s hippie vibe. And a cast of other interesting characters back them up.

But it is the descriptions of purses and the reasons for carrying particular ones that was fascinating. I am in no way a fashionista. My idea of a good purse is usually a cheap tote bag of some sort that will hold all my “stuff.” I learned a lot about the history of them in this story. And not in a bad way. The descriptions were interesting and added a lot to the story.

Recommendation: This is a decent cozy mystery with a satisfying ending and a fascinating study in purses. Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Birthdays: Hermann Hesse (1877), Jean Craighead George (1919), Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923), Wislawa Szymborska (1923), Mark Billingham (1961), Jack Gantos (1951), Elizabeth Graver (1964), Darren Shan (1972), Matthew Reilly (1974), Tao Lin (1983)

Hermann Hesse won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his writings. Best known for his books “Steppenwolf” and “Siddhartha”

Jean George is best known for her work “My Side of the Mountain”

Wislawa Szymborska won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature for his poetry.

Jack Gantos is best known for creating the character of “Rotten Ralph”

Quote: “Someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times.”― Jack Gantos, Hole in My Life

“Unless someone has broken all your fingers there’s nothing stopping you writing. It won’t always be any good of course, but writers have good days and bad days, same as anyone else.” – Mark Billingham

Tip: Three act structure is the most common storytelling device. In Act I, the main character’s life is thrown out of whack. In Act II, he tries to solve the problem, but can’t. Act III, he uses knowledge gained in II and formulates a new plan.

Jumpstart: You have just learned that you are the heir to a kingdom – a very small one with rich resources but surrounded by larger, not so nice ones. Do you take the throne? Why or why not?

Birthdays: Johann Heidegger (1633), Gottfried Leibniz (1646), George Sand (1804), William Strunk (1869), James M. Cain (1892), Amber Reeves (1887), James Cain (1892), Jean Stafford (1915), Emily Arnold McCully (1939), Denis Johnson (1949), Lisa Scottoline (1955), Louise Penny (1958), Genevieve Valentine (1981), Blake Bailey (1963),

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is thought to be one of the founders of library science.

William Strunk, Jr. was a grammarian best known for his book “The Elements of Style” which was revised by his student E.B. White.

Jean Stafford won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her “Collected Stories”

Lisa Scottoline’s book “Final Appeal” won the 1995 Edgar Award.

Quote: “I’ve read that one out of twenty-four people is a sociopath, and if you ask me, the other twenty-three of you should be worried.” ― Lisa Scottoline, Every Fifteen Minutes

“I love writing both fiction and memoir. Both have unique challenges; bottom line, fiction is hard because you have to come up with the credible, twisty plot, and memoir is hard because you have to say something true and profound, albeit in a funny way.” Lisa

Scottoline

Tip: Consider using a storyboard for your book. Set up a chart—either paper, computer or large piece of cardboard or whiteboard that you map out your scenes and chapters on. Sticky notes work well for this as you can move them around.

Jumpstart: Write a scene where two enemies are caught in a stuck elevator. What happens?

Birthdays: Winston Graham (1908), Czeslaw Milosz 1911), Harry Blackstone, Jr. (1934), Assia Djebar (1936), Jose Emilio Pacheco (1939), David McPhail (1940), Ahmed Sofa (1943), Daniel Goldhagen (1959), Adam Roberts (1965), Dinaw Megestu (1978),

Czeslaw Milosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Quote: “Let’s try the library,’ I tell him. ‘We can find out anything there!” ― David McPhail

“Don’t think about how your characters sound, but how they see. Watch the world through their eyes – study the extraordinary and the mundane through their particular perspective. Walk around the block with them, stroll the rooms they live in, figure out what objects on the cluttered dining room table they would inevitably stare at the longest, and then learn why. Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them. Stuff them with life, emotions, histories, objects and people they love, and once you’ve done that, once they are bursting at the seams, strip them bare. Find out what they look like—how they stand, talk move, when they have nothing left. Now put them back together, fill them once more with life, except now leave enough room for the reader to squeeze their own heart and imagination inside.” – Dinaw Megestu

Tip: In dialogue, try to avoid the “But as you know…” syndrome. If the reader should know it, then you should have had it in before this.

Jumpstart: Open any magazine to a picture and write a paragraph about what is happening or what is being advertised. You’re trying to describe this to someone who can’t see it. Be specific.

Birthdays: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900), John Toland (1912), Julia Kepes (1918), Frederic Dard (1921), Charlotte Bingham (1942), Quintin Jardine (1945), Brian Herbert (1947), Breece D’J Pancake (1952)

Antoine de Saint-Expury is best known for his novella “The Little Prince”

John Toland won the Pulitzer Prize for History for “The Rising Sun”

Quote: “Just repeating a statement often and with great vehemence does not make it a fact, and no amount of repetition can make a rational person believe it.” ― Brian Herbert, Kevin Anderson, Mentats of Dune

“Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to
believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.” ― Brian Herbert, House Harkonnen

 “You can’t write any form of fiction unless you enjoy reading it. You must be sincere in your approach. It’s no good despising the form. So many people think they could earn some money from writing something for which they have no affection. It won’t work. The first thing you have to have is belief.” – Charlotte Bingham

Tip: Try not to give your reader “ping-pong” dialogue. Break up long passages of dialogue with actions.

Jumpstart: List ten things that annoy you. Pick two and write about them. Why do they annoy you? What can you do about them?

Birthdays: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712), Luigi Pirandello (1867), Esther Forbes (1891), Eric Ambler (1909), A.E. Hotchner (1920), Bette Greene (1934), Mark Helprin (1947), Deborah Moggach (1948), Jean-Christophe Rufin (1952), Jane Ransom (1958), Asa Larsson (1966), Aimee Bender (1969), Tom Merritt (1970)

Luigi Pirandello won the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Ester Forbes won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for History for her biography of Paul Revere, but she is best known for her children’s novel “Johnny Tremain”

Eric Ambler’s spy works like “The Mask of Dimitrios” was the basis for several movies including “The Pink Panther”.

Jean-Christophe Rufin was a French novelist and co-founder of Doctors without Borders.

Quote: “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Tip: Do not plagiarize another author’s work. EVER.

Jumpstart: Write an excuse to the writing principal about why you didn’t write today. Make it plausible.

Birthdays: Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850), Paul Dunbar (1872), Helen Keller (1880), Esther Forbes (1891), Helen Sewell (1896), Catherine Cookson (1906), E.R. Braithwaite (1912), James Collier (1928), Peter Maas (1929), Lucille Clifton (1936), Christina Bjork (1938), Ivan Doig (1939), James Hogan (1949), Anita Diamant (1951), Alice McDermott (1953), Scott Cunningham (1956), Simon Sebag Montefiore (1965), Jo Frost (1971), Teju Cole (1975)

Quote: “The few own the many because they possess the means of livelihood of all … The country is governed for the richest, for the corporations, the bankers, the land speculators, and for the exploiters of labor. The majority of mankind are working people. So long as their fair demands – the ownership and control of their livelihoods – are set at naught, we can have neither men’s rights nor women’s rights. The majority of mankind is ground down by industrial oppression in order that the small remnant may live in ease.” ― Helen Keller, Rebel Lives: Helen Keller

“I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And I tell them to get support from other writers. (Not just criticism, but loving support.) And only to write what you love.” – Anita Diamant

Tip: Don’t expect agents or editors to do the work for you. They don’t have the time. Your story should be as good as you can possibly make it. If they say you need to fix things… fix them yourself.

Jumpstart: You have planned the ultimate sit-down dinner. The guests have all arrived and the food is being served. There is just enough for everyone—when an unexpected guest arrives. This person is important and to turn them away would be an insult. What do you do?