A Case of Bier by Mary Daheim

Judith and her husband run a bed and breakfast.  When Joe offers to take her on vacation for a few days, she's thrilled.  It gets even better when Renie(her cousin) and her husband Bill join them.  She didn't envision being a fishing widow but they need a guide to get more fish and go out in the field with him.  The two women plan to shop, see the sights and relax.  It'd be a lot more relaxing if she didn't find a dead body on almost the first day there...

William Morrow and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 12th.

She had been told he went there to die but he was stabbed.  Then his body disappears.  So does the bier he wanted to be sent down the river on.  She thinks the relatives did it and then got rid of the body.  That's partly true but there's a lot more to it.

They find the body in the woods in another day or so but when they try to show the cops, it's missing again.

In time, they begin to wonder if it was really that older brother as they were told.  But if it wasn't, who was it?

The fun part is that they make up stories as they go along.  One time Judith is a journalist, the next time she's acting like part of the family.  She does what it takes to sort out the facts.  She's also surprised by the killer...

Alpha Alpine: An Emma Lord Mystery by Mary Daheim

She's the newspaper editor and he's the Sheriff.  When young women turn up dead, she asks about the case but he can't give her all the info he has.  He's looking for a killer, she's looking for a story.  Sometimes that causes conflict...

Alibi and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

Emma and Milo have a good marriage.  They sometimes drive each other nuts but that's common in marriages.  They are tight and they are in love.  They each work the case from different angles.  He even has her talk to women that don't want to talk to him.  They make a good team.

Milo is under a lot of stress.  Not only does he have two deaths to contend with, the local timber baron is trying to change how the city administration is set up.  He wants a county manager.  And he wants to be the manager which means Milo will lose his job because they are enemies.

Add in the fact that one of the victims was the daughter of a crazy rich woman who is showboating around town and it makes for an odd but interesting story.

The killer surprised me.  Milo's older brother and his wife are a real hoot.  They come to visit and they won't go away.  All in all, this was a light cozy read and I enjoyed it.   Give it a try and see what you think.

Clam Wake: A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

Going to housesit should be fun, right?  Her aunt and uncle are going on a trip and she takes her cousin to the island community for a short stay.  So why does she end up finding a dead body on the beach first thing?

William Morrow Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can grab a copy at your local bookstore now.

This is a cozy mystery that includes odd characters, a property war, bantering cousins, and a meandering murder investigation.  The dead man did not die of natural causes; he was knifed to death.  They're on an island.  The killer had to live in the local community.  The man was well liked and had no known enemies.  The police are stymied.  The cousins decide to do their own snooping.  Bad choice.

This mystery plays out slowly.  I would have preferred a bit more action or a side plot or two, to keep it moving along a bit better.  However, this is part of a series and it might be a build up to future books.  It's not detrimental, it's just a bit too laid back for me.  I did however, enjoy the read, and would read more of Ms. Daheim's work.

This would make a great beach read.  The description of Washington is very accurate and will show you some of the state's coastal beauty.  Grab a comfortable chair and dig in!

The Alpine Xanadu: An Emma Lord Mystery by Mary Daheim

Emma and Milo are back and Alpine has another murder.  Emma wasn't sad to see him dead, but she didn't like the talk that said she might be the murderer...

Ballantine Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this ebook for review (thank you).  The book will be published at the end of January, so watch for a copy then.  If you've been reading this series, this book keeps the action going.

Emma and the Sheriff are dating and are very serious about each other.  Unfortunately, crime keeps the Sheriff busy and Emma's reporting keeps her busy, so they don't see as much of each as they would like.  The Sheriff's daughter keeps coming home to him with mental health issues, and that doesn't help either.  Will their love survive these difficulties?

When Wayne Eriks is found dead next to his van, everyone assumes he died from electrical shock.  The autopsy shows otherwise and what was an accident turns into murder.

This is a small town set in rural Washington and the people in the town all know each other and protect each other.  Trying to find the murderer is a sensitive issue and even when they identify the murderer, do they want to charge him? 

This is a light mystery that reads quickly and I found myself hoping Milo and Emma could create a life together.  Their sometimes rocky confrontations reminded me of my husband and myself.  I enjoyed this read, why don't you give a try?

Happy reading.