Mutt Cafe

The Man of Dangerous Secrets

Margery Allingham writing as Maxwell March

By Maxwell March

Ipso Books

General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 11 Aug 2017

Review

This book shows exactly why Margery Allingham is one of the most loved and remembered writers of the Golden Age of Mystery.  Before reading The Man of Dangerous Secrets, I didn’t realize that Margery Allingham sometimes used a pseudonym.  The Man of Dangerous Secrets has it all, a thrilling mystery, murder, conspiracy, blackmail, a beautiful heroine in danger and a clever and loyal hero.  There is even romance.  In all it is a wonderful novel.  

Robin Grey is a detective, a well respected consultant of both Scotland Yard and the government, known for his intellect, his power of observation and his skill for understanding people and getting to the truth of the matter.   Robin Grey becomes involved in a sinister conspiracy when he manages to prevent a murder at Waterloo Station.  Not long after, he is cons...

Smoke and Mirrors
by Casey Daniels
Severn House
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 01 Nov 2017
 

Review

To some degree we are all fascinated by the rare, the unusual and the grotesque.  PT Barnum made his name and fortune satisfying our craving for the bizarre.  Casey Daniels has taken history and put her own stamp creating a heroine as unusual for her time as one of Barnum’s oddities.  Evangeline acts as Phin’s assistant and aide de camp running the American Museum.  Quick witted and willing to make her living in a man’s world, it is no wonder that she begins investigating when an old friend is murdered and one of her brother’s employees goes missing.  But far more is involved than a simple case of murder.  The victim’s sister is missing and Evangeline fears for the worst.

Besides being a bang up mystery, Smoke and Mirrors is a novel about judgement based on appearances, and the hypocrisy of social propriety.  If Evangeline’s secrets were known, she would be judged and...

The Witches' Tree
An Agatha Raisin Mystery
by M. C. Beaton
St. Martin's Press
Minotaur Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 03 Oct 2017  

Review

The Witches’ Tree is a terrific addition to the Agatha Raisin series.  It is clever, funny, and has a wonderful cast of quirky characters- both series favourites and new additions.  

The Witches Tree begins with a village Vicar and his wife discovering the body of one of the church volunteers hanging on The Witches’ Tree in the center of the green.  But this body is only the first.  Hungry for excitement and tired of the lost pets and divorce cases that are the bread and butter of her business, Agatha eagerly tackles the case.  It helps that the local squire is willing to pay in hopes of getting the credit.

As in all her mysteries, Agatha gets into plenty of trouble both with her nosy questions and romantic daydreams.  Thankfully she has the help of her friends and colleagues.  The interplay between Agatha and Sir Charles is part of w...

The Dead Shall be Raised and The Murder of a Quack
A British Library Crime Classic
by George Bellairs
Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 03 Oct 2017

Review

George Bellairs is often forgotten, but his career as a mystery writer was long and moderately successful.  Like his lead, Detective Inspector Littlejohn, Bellairs was a man content with his craft with a skill founded on observation of human nature.  Detective Inspector Littlejohn does not have the Herculean intellect of Poirot or the deductive capacity of Holmes.  Rather, he is moderately intelligent, but amiable and persistent - qualities that serve him well in his investigations.  Bellairs has quite a way with words.  His descriptions of the various characters and their foibles are charming and often humorous.  The characters are often colorful, but are entirely believable.

The Dead Shall Be Raised and The Murder of a Quack are included in this edition by Poisoned Pen Press.  The Dead Shall Be R...

If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men
by The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Comics & Graphic Novels
Pub Date 26 Sep 2017  

Review

This book is hilarious, definitely one of the Oatmeal’s best.  Whether or not you love dogs, this book will have you laughing.  Like all of the Oatmeal’s comics, the humor comes both from the drawings and the truth inherent in the situations.  If you have dogs, I can guarantee they’ve behaved like the two middle aged men on more than one occasion (eg. pooping while keeping in eye contact with the nearest human & barking like there is an ax murderer at the door only to shower love on the visitor when you open the door). Come to think of it, your pets have probably done everything covered by If My Dogs Were Two Middle Aged Men. I can easily imagine my dogs saying the same things (thank goodness they can’t talk in real life).  I already know I will be giving copies of If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle Aged Men to several of my dog-loving and...

Rubies in the Roses
by Vivian Conroy
HQ Digital
Humor , Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 30 Aug 2017

Review

Rubies in the Roses is the second Cornisea island cosy by Vivian Conroy.  It is a charming mystery set on a fictional island on the Cornish coast.  The mysteries are not very complex, and the cast of characters is relatively small, but they are enjoyable light novels perfect for whiling away an afternoon.  Guinevere is a charming, demure lead and her dachshund, Dolly’s antics are sure to bring a smile.

Treasure fever has once again come to Cornisea Island. Rumors have emerged of a chalice covered in rubies and diamonds hidden on the grounds of Cornisea Castle. One of Oliver’s father's friends has returned with tales of a long lost treasure worth a fortune.  It may be what is necessary to revitalize the island or it may mean the island will be overrun with treasure seekers.  But along with the rumors comes the death of one of the island’s residents, an accident or murder?

R...

Death at the Seaside
A Kate Shackleton Mystery
by Frances Brody
St. Martin's Press
Minotaur Books

Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 12 Sep 2017

Review

The Kate Shackleton historical mysteries are a delightful escape from the everyday.  Set in a changing post WWI Britain, the novels draw readers in with their complex characters and well designed plots.

Death at the Seaside drew me in from the beginning. Can you imagine beginning your holiday, stepping into a shop and finding the owner murdered? That is exactly what happens to Kate when she goes to visit her friend Alma in Whitby.  The situation is further complicated by the disappearance of Kate’s goddaughter and her friend Alma’s romantic aspirations.  She doesn't want to intrude on the investigation, but as the local constable suspects her and Alma is being less than forthcoming she has little choice.

Brody has a way of making you feel for her characters. Alma, though innocent of murder is definitely frustrating.  Unlike in many cozies,...

I Love My Bread Machine

More Than 100 Recipes for Delicious Home Baking

By Anne Sheasby

Nourish

Cooking, Food & Wine, Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 19 Sep 2017

Review

I Love My Bread Machine has recipes taken from the 2009 Bread Machine Bible.  There are of course plenty of updates and additions that make this book worthwhile.  There are a variety of whole grain recipes using specialty grains as well as a number of gluten free recipes.  I liked that it has a section specifically devoted to flat breads - pitas, naan, foccaccia (I tried the sundried tomato and olive foccacia and it came out quite good) as well as a large variety of breads shaped by hand.  From sandwich breads to cottage loaves to tea breads, I Love My Bread Machine has recipes that cater to a wide range of tastes.

This book has a lot of information that is good for cooks who want to learn more traditional bread shaping techniques.  It is a good choice for busy cooks who like a beautiful result but don’t have a lot o...

The Seagull
A Vera Stanhope Mystery
by Ann Cleeves
St. Martin's Press
Minotaur Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 05 Sep 2017  

Review

Once again Anne Cleeves has given readers and her heroine Vera exactly what they want - a challenge.  When an inmate, a former superintendent and colleague of her father, offers Vera the whereabouts of the body of a long missing man in exchange for checking in on his troubled daughter, she has doubts.  Instead, not one body but two are discovered- the second an unidentified female.  Who was the woman? What were her links with Vera’s father and his Gang of Four?  But confronting the past has its costs as Brace’s son in law is murdered.  Is Brace playing a game? Or is someone else determined to hide a murder? What are the links to the glamorous and notorious club The Seagull?

The Seagull is a fantastic mystery that allows Vera’s qualities to shine.  Her energetic approach to investigating, her boundless curiosity and need to find informat...

A Catered Costume Party
by Isis Crawford
Kensington Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 29 Aug 2017  

Review

I had high expectations for A Catered Costume Party.  The introductory chapter where Darius murders his wife has just the right dash of humor.  After reading it, I was eager to discover what comes next.  

On the whole A Catered Costume Party is a fun fresh mystery.  Many of the passages are cleverly written and the dialogue is excellent.  I was disappointed, however,  by the lack of individual characterization.  Each of the characters were referred to by name, but there was little to distinguish one from another.  Even Libby and Bernie could only be told apart by their different choices in footwear- and they were the main characters. A bit more effort was spent on the suspects, but still far too little.  I think that Isis Crawford has a lot of potential as a mystery author.  The book would be great if she spent more time breathing life into her characters, making them uniq...