#2 Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris

# Of book read so far this year: 2
Title: Shakespeare’s Christmas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Narrator: N/A
Year Published: 1998
Rating (1-10): 10
Date Finished: 01/7/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages: 224
Where did the book come from: PBS
Series: Lily Bard #3

Blurb: Lily Bard heads home for the holidays.Lily heads to her hometown of Bartley for her estranged sister’s Christmas Eve wedding. But there is something in the air besides holiday cheer- there’s murder. And Lily must work fast to clean up the messy case before her sister promises to love, honor, and obey a killer.

My Comments: I absolutely love this series, and am so sad that Charlaine Harris isn’t going to write any more beyond the five that she has written. I am eagerly looking forward to the next two as well. This was an intriguing read as even though there were murders, there was another main mystery as well – that of the kidnapping of a child. There were several good red herrings and I didn’t know who the killer was until right before it was revealed. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and the characters are consistent and well developed. Harris is an excellent writer, and I plan to read all the books she’s written.

#1 Kissing Christmas Goodbye by MC Beaton

# Of book read so far this year: 1
Title: Kissing Christmas Goodbye
Author: M. C. Beaton
Narrator: N/A
Year Published: 2007
Rating (1-10): 9
Date Finished: 01/3/09
Genre: Fiction, cozy mystery
# Of pages: 247
Where did the book come from: PBS
Series: Agatha Raisin, #18

Blurb from Amazon: The indestructible Agatha Raisin, still at the top of her game in her darkly droll 18th whodunit (after Love, Lies and Liquor), is feeling woefully middle-aged after hiring Toni Gilmour, an endearing U.K.-style Nancy Drew full of teen energy and charm. As Toni takes over the pet recovery end of the sleuthing business, Agatha looks into a mysterious letter from Phyllis Tamworthy, the rich matriarch of the Manor House in the idyllic Cotswolds, who suspects family members of plotting to kill her before she can change her will to disinherit them. Agatha and her friend Sir Charles Fraith attend Phyllis's 80th birthday party, only to see the lady keel over, poisoned by hemlock in her salad. Digging into Phyllis's past yields an even darker mystery. Bestseller Beaton's dry wit enhances Agatha's struggles with aging, men and her most challenging case yet

My Comments: This book didn’t catch my interest at first like Agatha’s usually do, but after a bit I was well invested. It is a darker book than usual, but there is no bloodiness or anything, just the mood is darker. I must admit it kept me guessing all through the book. I also like how it didn’t end directly after solving the murder, but there was a good chapter afterwards. Looks like the bloom is off of the James rose, which is (in my opinion) a relief. I also found the new detective, Toni, to be delightful. She adds spark to a rather long series. Good read!

In case LiveJournal falls apart

I am starting a reading blog here, and will write reviews of the books I read each year. I find that I am more prone to read books when I've read the reviews of others, especially people I know, or reviewers I've come to trust. I do hope that there will be people who will read my reviews.