HITCHED By Carol Higgins -Clark

3-1/2 Stars

Looking for an exciting light-hearted mystery with an eccentric cast of characters, some of whom surprisingly turn out to be crooks? Look no further than HITCHED, the latest and most romantic Regan Reilly mystery.

Regan is finally getting married to her longtime beau, New York Police Department Captain Jack Reilly. Regan has a lot of things to prepare for the special day, the most important of them picking up her wedding dress. When she arrives at Alfred and Charisse's Couture in Lower Manhattan’s Little Italy, Regan finds the husband-and-wife designers bound and gagged on their bed. They have been robbed of several wedding gowns and twenty thousand dollars in cash that they won in Atlantic City. A piece of evidence left at the scene, a shredded gown with blood stains, is her only clue.

With only a week to go until her wedding Regan sets out to find her dress.

Meanwhile, Regan's fiance Jack is trying to solve a bank robbery case. The storyline concerning Jack isn’t all that interesting except for it leading to an unlikely coincidence with Regan's mystery of the missing gowns. While all of this is happening, the thieves are on their way to Las Vegas to sell the gowns. With a few other unnecessary, nonsensical subplots, Hitched moves at a fairly rapid pace.

Since this is filed under “mystery light,” you shouldn’t expect anything more than one-dimensional characters running around and a mystery that isn’t really all that deep. Overall, Hitched is good for someone looking for a light beach or vacation read.

Books By Carol Higgins Clark Featuring Regan Reilly

• Hitched (Click Here)
• Burned (Click Here)
• Fleeced (Click Here)
• Jinxed (Click Here)

Until next time!
Jasmine

http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com

Watching Amanda

2 Stars out of 5

I am certainly glad that I borrorwed this book from the library rather than waste my money buying such a corny book. The book starts off okay but quickly goes down hill from there.

I could not identify with the main character Amanda Sedgewick. She is a 20-something single mother of a sickly toddler. She is a weak whinning woman, who cannot get over the fact that her "Daddy" did not love her.

One day Amanda gets fired from her her hotel job for missing too much work. Luckily, right after losing her job, her fabulously wealthy father dies and leaves her a brownstone worth millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, her father's will has some stipulations. Before she can inherit the brownstone, she must live in it for 30 days and follow some stupid rules such as...she has to sit on a couch at a certain time, she cannot enter certain rooms, and she cannot open a window. To make sure she follows the rules someone will be watching her at all times. If she breaks the rules three times, she will lose her inheritance.

So Amanda moves into the brownstone. The first night she is there someone tries to strangle her. Luckily she is rescued by a tall handsome stranger (Ethan Black). Ethan is the mystery man her father hired to make sure she follows the rules of the will.

Being the good girl she is, Amanda cries to Ethan that she cannot understand why someone would want to hurt her. Of course, Ethan falls in love with the damsel and distress and quickly moves into the brownstone to protect her.

Together Ethan and Amanda set out to find out who would hurt her and why?

Sorry that's all I can tell you about Amanda's plight without giving away the ending. If you want to know what happpens to Amanda, why not visit your local library or purchase a used copy of this book on Amazon.com.

Until Next Time!
Arianna

Mystery on Demand

Double Date

2-1/2 Stars out of 5
Authors:Barbara Taylor McCafferty & Beverly Taylor Herald

This book is part of an ongoing series which features Identical Twin sisters Nan & Bert Tatum.

Once again, Bert and Nan Tatum exchange identities and once again, they wind up in a mortally dangerous situation as a result.

Nan has had it with the singles scene. That's why she decides to join an online dating service. But all the men who respond to her ad are losers. So she decides to join the service again and pass herself off as her boring twin sister Bert.

Bullseye! Nan's new personal ad (as Bert) pulls in Derek Stanhope, a gorgeous, successful businessman.

Unfortunately right after Nan finally meets Derek, she finds him murdered in his own driveway. Nan goes to find help, but when the cops arrive the body has mysteriously vanished.

Since there is no body, Nan has a hard time convincing the police that Derek is really dead. So Nan and Bert decide they must solve the murder themselves. Soon Nan and Bert's lives are in jeopardy as the murderer tries to stop them from solving the crime.

Personally I found this book to be somewhat corny. I had a hard time identifying with Bert. She seems like such a stick-in-the-mud that I really did not like her. Nan on the other-hand is a fun character. I realize that the authors were trying to make the twins complete opposites but Bert just seemed to be too perfect and complain too much.

Although I did not particularly enjoy this book, do not let my review stop you from reading it. I read the reviews on Amazon.com and everyone who read the book thought it was great. I guess everyone is entitled to a different opinion.

Until Next Time!
Arianna :)

P.S. Please feel free to comment of this review.

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Multiple Listings

3 STARS Multiple Listings By Anne Underwood Grant

This delightful story will keep you entertained on a rainy afternoon. Once you start reading this book, you will not want to put it down.

Sydney Teague has it all together-barely. She is a no-nonsense type of Southern woman. She will not bat her eye-lashes for any man. She is a single mother and has recently started her own advertising business in Charlotte, North Carolina.

She leads a rather mundane (but busy) life until one day her hard-living best friend Crystal is found dead. And Sydney wants to know why? But the local cops will not give her any answers.

So Sydney decides she must solve the murder herself. She soon discovers that Crystal's brutal murder is part of an even more shocking crime spree and that some of the clues lie in the city's booming Real estate market.

Even worse, someone Sydney knows all too well may be holding the key to a case of multiple murder.

Why not check this book out of your local library or purchase on Amazon.com to find out who murdered Crystal and the shocking secrets that Sydney discovers.

Click Here to check this book out on Amazon!

Until Next Time!
Arianna

Mysteries-R-US

Wedding Day Murder

Although Wedding Day Murder by Leslie Meier is not a brain-drainer it is a cute little story to keep you occupied on a lazy afternoon.

Meet Lucy Stone:
Lucy is a forty-something year old happily married woman. She has 4 children (2 girls & 2 boys). Besides being a soccer mom she works as a reporter for her local small town newspaper. For some strange reason Lucy has a bad habit of finding dead bodies.

Already juggling 4 kids' hectic schedules, a rambunctious dog, her job, and an attentiion-craving husband, Lucy can't possibly squeeze in another responsibility...or can she?

When Sue Finch asks for help planning her daughter Sidra's wedding to Internet millionaire Ron Davitz, loyal pal Lucy willingly dives into the world of white lace, roses, and chair rentals. What could be more perfect than a backyard summer wedding in Lucy's newly build gazebo?

Unfortunately for Lucy, the groom's overbearing social climbing mother, Thelma has elaborate ideas and constantly complains.

Besides the mother-in-law Lucy has a lot of troubles. With the nuptials looming along with her latest deadline, the arrangements are in utter chaos-and so is Lucy's investigative piece on lobsters.

Meanwhile Ron (the groom) is making enemies at every turn, including the bride's father, several fishermen, harbormaster Frank Wiggins, and family friend, Geoff Rumford-who still carries a torch for Sidra (the bride).

When the groom's body is found floating beside his yacht, Lucy isn't convinced it was an accidental drowning. From the picturesque waterfront to Norah Hemmings' mansion everyone is a suspect.

Lucy quickly finds herself contemplating her own funeral as she launches her own investigation into the murder. The killer will do anything to keep from being unveiled.

Why not pick this book up at your local library or purchase a used copy on Amazon to see how Lucy solves her latest murder.

Click Here to Purchase a used copy of this book on Amazon.com

Until Next Time!

Arianna

http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com/

On What Grounds ~ By Cleo Coyle

This was an enjoyable read. I read it while on vacation and it kept me entertained on a rainy afternoon while stuck in the hotel.

This truly delightful mystery is set in New York City's Greenwich Village, and what a treat it is! Clair Cosi takes over the management of the Village Blend (a long-established landmark coffeehouse with a vivid history) at the insistence of the ailing owner, who is also her former mother-in-law. Clair is reluctant but agrees to take the job in order to stay close to her daughter, now attending a Manhattan culinary institute. But Clair hadn't bargained on murder, nor the interference of an attractive (but cranky) police detective with no palate for coffee. And there was no way that Clair could prepare herself for the return of her insufferable (but altogether charming) ex-husband.

What sounds like a set up for a romance novel becomes an edge-of-the-seat murder mystery that could only happen among the colorful characters of New York City. Clair's hunt for the killer takes her to a modern dance class crowded with catty suspects, a toney New York charity ball complete with society schemers, a crazy scene in a Christopher Street bar, and an unexpected confrontation with a cold-blooded, calculating killer.

Most delightful is the witty dialogue, especially the repartee between Clair's roguish ex, who can't help but charm her! And the hard-bitten New York homicide detective is a great character, too.

This wonderful blend of humor, mystery, and charm will go down like a creamy latte!

You should check this book out of your local library or buy it used from Amazon.com

Remember to Always Live Life With Passion!

Until Next Time!

Arianna :)

Please feel free to comment on this review

Mysteries-r-us.com

If Looks Could Kill ~ By Kate White

RATING: 4-1/2 STARS

Pure Fun! Told with a light, easy tone, this mystery is for the fan who wants something a little different than the norm.

Meet our heroine Bailey Weggins:

Bailey is a pretty thirty-something true crime writer who lives in New York City. She is not married, but is still hopeful of finding Mr. Right. No matter where she goes, trouble seems to follow her.

One day Bailey receives a frantic call from her boss, Cat. Apparently, Cat's live-in nanny, Heidi, seems to be missing. Cat begs Bailey to come over and check things out; she's afraid something has happened to Heidi and doesn't want to be alone.
Once Bailey enters Heidi's apartment, something is immediately amiss -- if the smell wasn't a dead giveaway, then Heidi's lifeless body is a sure tip-off. Who killed Heidi, and why? Cat asks Bailey to help solve the mystery, and by the novels' end, everyone seems to be a suspect.

Author Kate White did a very good job of keeping me guessing -- I thought the killer was every character at least once throughout the book -- and had me surprised once the killer was revealed in the last few pages. The writing was very easy and flowing, and the New York City setting made it all the more fun, especially since I used to live in NYC.

I recommend this book for an entertaining beach read or for anyone wanting a quick, satisfying, light story.

If you are like me, and don't like to pay full price for your books, why not CLICK HERE FOR KATE WHITE BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM.

Until Next Time!!!
Arianna :)

P.S. Please feel free to comment on this review

http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com

DARK HARBOR BY STUART WOODS

3-1/2 STARS Highly Enjoyable!

This book is part of a 12 part series by Stuart Woods. If you have ever read any of his books you will enjoy this one. Dark Harbor brings us the perfect mix of intrigue and swift suspense that legions of fans have come to expect from the author.


This book features our hero Stone Barrington.

Meet Stone....

Stone is an urban sophisticate, hanging out at Elaine's (A trendy Resturant) in New York with his friends. Wealthy by inheritance, Stone lives the life; a Manhattan townhouse, private plane, lots of women. Oh yes, he practices law too, but not so often that it interferes with his dodging bullets or rescuing the women he loves from the clutches of evil. Stone also spent 14 years on the NYPD, but had to retire when he was shot in the knee.

One day Stone is at Elaine's with his friend, NYPD Lieutenant Dino Bacchetti when another friend, CIA agent Lance Cabot shows.

Lance starts asking Stone what he knows about a man named Dick Stone. Stone explains that Dick is his cousin with whom he has not seen in many years. Suddenly Lance tells Stone that his cousin Dick and his family are dead in an apparent murder/sucide.

My! Would you believe that just the other day, Stone received a sealed package from cousin Dick with instructions that it be opened only in the event of his death. This is obviously an appropriate time to open it. Surprisingly, Stone has been named executor and left a house in Dark Harbor, Maine.

Now it turns out that cousin Dick was a bigshot in the CIA and was about to get a huge promotion. Lance Cabot asks Stone to help investigate Dick's death.

And we're off to the races. Stone goes to Dark Harbor (in his own plane, of course) and begins to poke around. Why it looks like cousin Dick, his wife and daughter were murdered! But by whom on an island with only a few hundred permanent residents? Could it be a revenge plot against the CIA? Well, there are bunch of other retired CIA officers living on the island too . . .

But there's Dick's brother as well, who has been disinherited. And now bodies start popping up all over the place. One of the CIA retirees bites the dust as does a local teenage girl.

At every step Stone knows he is being watched by Dick's family-and one of them just may be a killer.

I'll not reveal any more so as not to impair your enjoyment of this delightful book.

This book is an easy read. The characters are surprisingly robust and the plot has lots of surprises. This is a great read for the beach, a rainy afternoon, a long flight or any time you just want to enjoy a master of the police procedural at work. The author brings a very special, very enjoyable flavor to the art of mystery. It's light, but certainly not offensively so and it's definitively fun to be in the company of Stone Barrington and his friends.

CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY STUART WOODS

Until Next Time!

Arianna :)

Source: http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com

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MURDER LIST BY JULIE GARWOOD

** 2 STARS (Not Really a Mystery!)

I must admit I was kind of disappointed in this book. I bought this book on the way to the airport and simply purchased it based on the title , "The Murder List". With a title like that I assumed it would be a murder mystery....WRONG! This book is a romance novel.

Meet Regan Hamilton...She is an air-head drop dead gorgeous Heiress and philanthropist who is absolutely perfect.

One day Regan is persuaded by her two friends to become involved in their amateur investigation of a con-man, who runs popular self-help seminars. They are convinced he murdered a gullible milionairess for her money.

The three women attend one of the con-man's seminars and participate in a "cleansing exercise" geared to rid them of their anger. Participants are asked to make a list of people they really don't like and wish they could murder. Regan is shocked but plays along. They are then asked to burn their lists, which is symbolically supposed to cleanse them of negative feelings. Unfortunately, Regan is unable to burn hers, because her cell phone rings and she walks outside to answer it.

After the seminar, she leaves the conference center and is attacked by a strange man on the way to her car. While trying to escape she drops her phone, and her seminar "murder list".

Soon afterward, the first person on her list dies, an apparent suicide. Then another one has a fatal heart attack. When Regan goes to the police to report the attack, as well as her perceived connection to the murders/deaths, Detective Alec Buchanan is assigned to be her bodyguard.

Of course, Alec Buchanan is an absolute hunk who falls in love with Regan. Unfortunately, this is where the murder mystery takes a back seat to the romance storyline. The rest of the story revolves around the developing romance of Regan and Alec.

As you can probably guess our hero Alec saves Regan's life and they live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, the plot contains little that is original, worthwhile, or interesting. The characters are cardboard caricatures. Not one of them is developed sufficiently to come across as believable. The heroine (Regan)is just too naive - too cutesy, to be as intelligent and creative as the author would have us believe. The villains are not particularly scary!
"The Murder List" just doesn't make the grade.

Although this book was certainly not one of Julie Garwood's best books, she has several books which you may enjoy.

CLICK HERE FOR DISCOUNTS ON JULIE GARWOOD BOOKS

Until Next Time!
Arianna :)

WHISKEY ON THE ROCKS BY NINA WRIGHT ~ FUN

4-1/2 Stars (Great Comic Mystery!)

What a fun, fast paced, read! If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, you'll love The Whiskey Mysteries, starring Whiskey Mattimoe and her diva dog Abra the Afghan hound.

Meet Whiskey Mattimoe....Still reeling from her husband's death, thirty-three-year-old realtor Whiskey is adjusting to a new life, which includes the embarrassing purse-snatching antics of her mischievious Afghan hound. That's bad for business, but not as bad as having her clients die on her.

When someone turns up dead at one of Whiskey's properties, the Magnet Springs part-time police force-canine officer Roscoe and two cops of the human variety-needs all the help they can get. This quiet lake Michigan resort town is known for its mysterious magnetic fields, not murder, and the locals would like to keep it that way.

Whiskey with the assistance from her loveable but eccentric friends and neighbors, uncovers art theft, forgery, and some nasty secrets about the people who have descended on her quiet town - and now it seems that she knows too much, because someone is out to get her too.

Savvy and streetsmart, Whiskey manages to keep her sense of humor throughout the chaos. She knows she can take care of herself (well, with the help of an exceptionally trained dog), but to survive, she's got to unravel the tangled web of deceit. All this intrigue is not only bad for Whiskey, it's killing her business!

Go ahead and pick up this book at your favorite book store or online to find out how Whiskey gets herself out of this crisis.

If you would like more information on this book, simply click the link below:

Whiskey On the Rocks

Until Next time!
Arianna


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TWO LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE ~ MARY HIGGINS CLARK

RATING: 4-1/2 Stars (Great Book!)

In a riveting new thriller, the Queen of suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark weaves the mystery of twin telepathy into a mother's search for a kidnapped child, presumed dead.

Margaret and Steve Frawley celebrate the third birthday of their twin girls, Kelly and Kathy, with an afternoon party in their new home, a modest fixer-upper in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

The evening of the twins' birthday party, Steve and Margaret attend a black-tie dinner in New York. When they return home, the police are in the house, and they are told that the babysitter had been found unconscious, the children are gone, and a note demanding an eight-million-dollar ransom had been left in their room.

Steve Frawley's firm, a global investment company, agrees to pay the ransom. The kidnapper, who identifies himself as the "Pied Piper" makes his terms known - on delivery of the ransom, a call will come, revealing the girls' whereabouts. The call comes, but only one daughter (Kelly) is in the car parked behind a deserted restaurant. The driver is dead from a gunshot wound and has left a suicide note, saying he had inadvertently killed Kathy and had dumped her body in the ocean.

At the memorial Mass for Kathy, Kelly tugs Margaret�s arm and says: "Mommy, Kathy is very scared of that lady. She wants to come home right now." More unexplainable occurrences follow, indicating that Kelly is in touch with Kathy. At first, no one except the mother believes that the twins are communicating and that Kathy is still alive. As Kelly's warnings become increasingly specific and alarming, however, FBI agents set out on a search for Kathy.

The novel reaches a breathtaking climax as they close in on the kidnappers, while Kathy's life hangs by a thread.

In delving into the well-documented but still unexplained phenomenon of twin telepathy, Mary Higgins Clark tells a spellbinding tale that takes us deep into the minds of her characters while lifting us to the heights of suspense.

As with all of Mary Higgins Clark's books...this is a page turner from beginning to end.

If you would like to check out this book or any other books by this author simpy Click here for books by Mary Higgins Clark

Until Next Time!
Arianna

Source: http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com

THE CAT WHO DROPPED A BOMBSHELL ~ LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN

RATING: 2-1/2 STARS


Although I am a huge fan of the "Cat Who..." mystery series by Ms. Braun, I have to admit this was not one of her better books. This book does not have the same writing flair as her previous books. I thought the storyline was kind of weak and lacked the character development for which Ms. Braun is famous for.

The Cat Who... stories (28 books) are set in the charming town of Pickax - "about 400 miles north of everywhere."

James Qwilleran (Qwill) is probably the most well-known Pickax-er since he inherited millions of dollars and donates a lot of money to the town. He also writes "The Qwill Pen", a twice-weekly column for the Moose County Something newspaper.

Yet, despite the peaceful ambiance of Pickax and the polite society that abides there in genteel harmony, each "Cat Who..." installment has a mystery that usually involves murder. Somehow Qwill and his feline friends Koko and Yum Yum always seem to solve the mystery.

In THE CAT WHO DROPPED A BOMBSHELL we find everyone in the midst planning a "Pickax Now" Festival. While planning the festival, Qwill welcomes architect Harvey Ledfied into his home (an Apple Barn), but strange occurrences seem to follow Harvey around. Why, for example, did Koko jump on Harvey's head? And why have Harvey's wealthy Aunt and Uncle not been seen in public since Harvey arrived in town?

Soon Koko's strange behavior is not the only sign of trouble in Pickax. A knitter with psychic powers predicts a murder. Qwill receives a mysterious message from an out of town woman.

Since I do not want to ruin this book for you I will not reveal anymore information. All I can tell you is that Qwill and Koko are on the case. Are they up to the task of solving another murder? Why not read the book to find out!

Although this was not one of Ms. Brauns better books, please do not be discouraged from reading her other "The Cat Who..." mystery series. The series has a quaint home-town feel and characters who will warm your heart.

Reach for any of the Cat Who... books when you need a smile.

(Note: For your convenience, I have added some links for Ms. Braun's other books. Simply click on any link for more information...



Until Next Time!
Arianna

Dating Can Be Murder By Jennifer Apodaca

RATING: 3-1/2 STARS OUT OF 5

In some ways, this book will remind you of the Janet Evanovich books. It's raunchy, funny and character driven.

When Samantha (Sam) Shaw's no-good cheating husband dies, Sam takes the insurance money, and does something useful with it. At least, useful in her terms. She buys an entirely new wardrobe, gets breast implants, and buys Heart Mates, the dating service that her deceased husband did business with.

Determined to become a successful businesswoman, Sam does her best to make a go of Heart Mates. Unfortunately, her newest client turns out to be a thug who zaps her with a stun gun, and threatens her life. Apparently the thug has a vendetta against Sam's dead husband.

Sam quickly learns that her dead husband was running an illegal drug business and was murdered (by a chocolate brownie). Before Sam met the thug, she thought her husband died of a peanut allergy.

Now Sam has until Friday to come up with the half a million dollars her husband stole.

With the help from two very handsome men Sam sets out on a hilarious adventure to find the money and beat the thugs that threaten her and her family while the bodies keep piling up.

Oops! Almost gave the ending away. If you want to know what happened to Sam, go read the book!

Why not visit your local library to pick up Dating Can Be Murder or buy the book used on Amazon.com. You won't be sorry you did!

Until Next Time!

Arianna

P.S. Please feel Free to comment on this review.

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Company Man ~ By Joseph Finder

Rating: 5 Stars

I love reading books where the author just keeps turning up the suspense by tightening a noose around a characters neck and then we the readers get to watch as he struggles to get himself out of the mess he's in. And that is exactly the kind of book Joseph Finder has delivered here. Super suspense, great characters who you feel you know and a top notch story.

I highly recommend this book. If you are a lover of thrilling and suspense fiction, you'll just love it.

The story centers around a man named Nick Conover who is CEO of Stratton (a Furniture manufacturer). One day Nick is on top of the world and then all of a sudden his life starts to spiral out of control.

Unfortunately, in the last year or so Nick's company has not been doing so well and had to lay off a lot of people.

All of a sudden Nick becomes public enemy number one. Someone breaks into his home and kills the family dog. A few days later Nick finds a strange man in his backyard. When the man refuses to leave, Nick panics and shoots him. Not knowing what to do, he calls up his friend Eddie to help him dispose of the body.

A few days later the body is discovered in a dumpster and traced back to Nick. Now a game of cat and mouse ensues between Nick, and the local policewoman, Audrey Rhimes.

After the murder Nick tries to go through his daily life as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that his employees are back-stabbing him. Everything Nick has worked for is in jeopardy!
The only bright light in Nicks life seems to be his new girlfriend Cassie. Suddenly Nick is faced with another problem...Cassie happens to be the daughter of the man he murdered.

The author creates an interesting counterpoint between Nick's professional and personal life. Nick struggles to do the right thing in the office while covering up the murder. He fails miserably at both, and it seems that everyone is turning against him.

When Nick finally sees a solution to his problems, he discovers that it has been in front of him all along. But is it too little, too late?

Finder has crafted another one of his masterpieces with this book and to tell you more of the plot would spoil the read.

Readers who (like me) enjoy fast-paced thriller action will find Company Man a hard book to put down. I confess, I lost a lot of sleep last week.

Why not check this book out at your local library or buy used on Amazon.com. You won't be sorry you did!

Until Next Time!

Arianna :)

P.S. Please feel free to comment on this review.

http://mysteries-r-us.blogspot.com