Tag Archives: cozy mystery

The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman

I reviewed “Kaleidoscope” a few weeks ago, which is the sequel to “The Clairvoyant Countess.” I enjoyed it so much, of course I had to go back and find the original. I wasn’t disappointed at all. We meet Madame Karistska, clairvoyant, who has lived a fascinating life. She came from money but because of political upheaval in the countries where she lived, she came to America as a pauper. She has never used her clairvoyance for profit, but having to rely on her own skills to make it in the world, she decides to go into business for herself. She … Continue reading →

A Pocket Full of Rye – Agatha Christie

One of Dame Agatha Christie’s most beloved detective characters is Miss Jane Marple, elderly but spry, and certainly not missing any of her marbles. With her sweet face and gentle disposition, no one would suspect that lurking under her white hair is a brain like a steel trap, able to solve mysteries in a single bound, and bring evildoers to justice just when they think they’ve gotten away with everything. “A Pocket Full of Rye” is such a mystery, in which we see Miss Marple do what she does so well. Our story begins in the offices of Mr. Rex … Continue reading →

Kaleidoscope – Dorothy Gilman

Most famous for her Mrs. Polifax series, Dorothy Gilman didn’t limit herself to stories about the gutsy elderly detective. In “Kaleidoscope,” we see a whole new female sleuth, Madame Karitska. First introduced in Gilman’s book “The Clairvoyant Countess,” Karitska is a displaced countess of former wealth who went through a terrible period in her life and is now virtually penniless, living in a humble apartment from where she does psychic readings. Karitska’s good friend Pruden is on the police force and often comes to her for advice. She helped rescue his lady love in the first novel, and in this … Continue reading →

The Poetry of Murder – Bernadette Steele

“The Poetry of Murder” by new novelist Bernadette Steele is set against the backdrop of the International House at the University of Chicago. Our main character is Geneva Anderson, an African-American poet whose Aunt Victoria is the director at the I-House. Geneva is a resident there as well, on a poetry fellowship. Upon completing some new poetry, Geneva goes to Victoria’s office to get her opinion on her work. When she steps into her aunt’s office, she is completely unprepared for what she sees – her aunt’s body covered in blood. She was close to her aunt and the shock … Continue reading →

Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake – Emily Brightwell

An installment in the “Victorian Mysteries” series, “Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake” is the first Emily Brightwell novel I have read, but it will not be the last. I was quite taken with the premise and the characters and will return again soon. Inspector Witherspoon is a hard-working Scotland Yard detective with a superb record for cases solved. He has received much acclaim for his amazing ability to see through to the heart of the case and solve the most difficult mysteries. What his adoring public does not realize is that the good Inspector wouldn’t know how to solve a … Continue reading →