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This is the second book I’ve read this year in which the main character starts acting all crazy and appears to have been drugged or poisoned. I loved Jane Green’s version, Saving Grace, but this plot line irritated me here.

That said, I think Masterman has created one of the most unique protagonists in a long time, and I adore her. Brigid Quinn is a 59 year-old retired F.B.I. agent who can kick ass, and as I approach that age I really appreciate reading about a character that strong at that age. Her first book, Rage Against the Dying, was terrific if a bit of a stretch (a former F.B.I. agent kills a man in self defense and doesn’t report it? Really?)

This time out Brigid’s sister passes away, and her niece, Gemma-Kate, comes to live with her and her ex-priest husband, neither of whom has any experience with children. Gemma-Kate is a piece of work, but needs to stay with her aunt to establish residency for college. When one of Brigid’s beloved pugs gets poisoned by a toad, Gemma-Kate may be responsible, and things go down hill from there.

Brigid’s best friend Mallory, (the first time in her life that she’s had a best girlfriend,) isn’t exactly like her. While Brigid loves to go hiking, Mallory loves to go shopping but they both like the lunches served with lots of wine. Mallory’s husband suffers from locked-in syndrome; he was in a car that was hit by a train and the only movement he can make is to blink his eyes. Mallory has turned their home into a virtual hospital, and her time with Brigid is often the highlight of her day.

Brigid is working part time as a private investigator. When a local teenage boy dies under suspicious circumstances, the mother asks her to look into it. There are other storylines going on and eventually they all intersect, but Masterman excels at misdirection and the ending is quite a shocker.

2/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FEAR THE DARKNESS by Becky Masterman. Minotaur Books (January 20, 2015). ISBN 978-0312622954. 336p.

The latest buzz book is Hawkins’ debut thriller and frankly, that’s why I read it. To be honest, I felt like it was my professional responsibility to read it since my library patrons are all asking about it, other wise I never would have finished it.

In a word, it’s weird.

The unreliable narrator surged in popularity with Gone Girl – and just a caveat here, I tried to read the Flynn book on three separate occasions and just could not get past the first 40 pages. So I am not the one to do any comparisons there but rather I’m just repeating the oft told comparison in every other review.

That said, Train has a cast of several unreliable characters and the story switches viewpoints among most of them. Rachel is the girl on the train and she is a drunk with blackout issues. She rides the train to London back and forth each day imagining the lives of a couple she names “Jess and Jason.”

Anna is married to Rachel’s ex and understandably no love is lost between them. When Anna’s neighbor Megan goes missing and later is found dead, more details start emerging, and Megan is yet another voice we hear from. Megan turns out to be “Jess” and of course her controlling husband is the first suspect. She lived a few houses down from Rachel’s ex and his new wife, Anna, and there are lots of confrontations between Anna and Rachel.

I had a hard time relating to any of these characters and didn’t really care what happened to any of them. I started to like the book more than three quarters of the way through. That said, I really liked the ending.

2/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE GIRL ON A TRAIN by Paula Hawkins. Riverhead Hardcover (January 13, 2015). ISBN 978-1594633669. 336p.

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Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper (Book 10)

Josie has come a long way in this series, from struggling single mom renting her mother’s downstairs apartment to happily married to veterinarian Ted, living in their own home, a mid-century modern cottage. But she’s still mystery shopping, which I always find fascinating, maybe because I’ve been on the other side of the counter. When I worked for Borders Books & Music we were mystery shopped on a monthly basis, and people lost their jobs over those reports – or were rewarded!

Josie’s weaselly boss asks her to check out three local doggie day care centers that are seeking accreditation. This behind the scenes look at these establishments will hopefully give dog owners the gumption to look around themselves before dropping off their pets.

But it wouldn’t be a mystery without a murder, and sure enough Josie finds the popular Uncle Bob’s Doggy Day Camp local television spokesperson/celebrity, Uncle Bob himself, dying in his office. Is it natural causes brought on by a high meat diet or did someone poison Uncle Bob? There are lots of suspects, all his employees have issues with the man and he and his wife are separated.

Josie continues her mystery shopping assignment but when her mom’s new renter and possible love interest is arrested for the murder, Josie has to help out and find the real killer.

I love this series and this latest mystery is a good one –  I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. Viets creates believable characters, both good and bad, and I find myself thinking about them long after I turn the last page. Another winner from one of my favorite authors.

2/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A DOG GONE MURDER by Elaine Viets. Signet (November 4, 2014). ISBN 978-0451465986. 304p.

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Private Investigator Kathleen Stone is a 25-year-old retired undercover cop with a talent for disguises. Investigating philanderers seems like safe work after living undercover with drug dealers, until one cheating husband ends up dead in an upscale bar.

Unfortunately, Stone is the most likely suspect, but former police academy partner turned detective Ellis Dekker would rather work with her than arrest her. After her apartment and her office are broken into and vandalized, she is asked to unofficially join the investigation.

There is some chemistry between Stone and Dekker, as well as between Stone and her former undercover lover. Her closest friends, a drag queen and a gifted wig maker, help with her disguises and add some humor to the mayhem.

Stone is an interesting, engaging character with a disturbing background that adds another layer to this debut novel. Wright is a little darker and not quite as over the top as Janet Evanovich, but aficionados of humorous mysteries like the Stephanie Plum series or the Lucky O’Toole series by Deborah Coonts will want to add this to their reading list.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE RED CHAMELEON by Erica Wright. Pegasus (June 15, 2014). ISBN 978-1605985688. 320p.

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This is the latest entry in the Dead-End Job series, one of my favorite cozy mystery series. While it is a series, each book does stand alone, and Elaine is very good about including pertinent information for newcomers to the series.

The series started out with Helen Hawthorne, the main character, working for cash under the table to keep her ex-husband from finding her or her money. The series has evolved, and Helen is now married and running a private detective agency with her husband, Phil. But never fear, she still ends up working minimum wage jobs, but now she’s going undercover to help solve the case.

Catnapped! revolves around the cat show industry and Helen ends up working as a cat groomer for a breeder. A divorcing couple can’t agree on anything except their shared love of their show kitten. But when the kitten is kidnapped (catnapped!) Helen & Phil are on the case. Unfortunately, the ex-husband ends up dead, and the wife arrested for the murder. Meanwhile, things aren’t all good on the home-front either. The Coronado apartment building is in need of major repairs, and Margery seems more inclined to sell than renovate.

One of the best things about this series is how Viets shines a light on the minimum wage jobs and the people that work so hard for so little. Invariably I learn something new in every book – like the grooming involved with show cats! I love the south Florida setting, not only because I live there but because Viets really brings it to life – the setting becomes almost another character. This is another smart mystery with intrigue, laughs and a lot of heart.

Check out Elaine Viets’ guest blog for an inside look at bathing a cat!

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

CATNAPPED! by Elaine Viets. NAL Hardcover (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0451466303. 288p.