The B-Team: The Case of the Angry First Wife

by Melodie Campbell
an Orca Rapid Reads

 Another fun "family" mystery by Melodie Campbell. Reading a book by Melodie is complete enjoyment. How she can stuff so much fun in a Rapid-Read book is amazing to me. A little different from her previous comic villains, but a part of the same family, that of Gina Gallo et al, the "vigilantes", namely Kitty, Ritz, Dino and Del are determined to do justice to the wronged, in this case return a stolen necklace to its rightful owner. Still something always seems to go awry and in this book the rightful owner is more likely the unrightful owner. The usual "family" business and connections, plus another entry to romance carries on with Del as does in the Gina Gallo books. I love these quick but very complete books by Melodie! Very entertaining. This review is based on an Advance Reading Copy (ARC).

Murder Below Zero

by John Lawrence Reynolds
a Rapid Reads book

 January in June, living in northern British Columbia, I can identify. Unusually cold this year, spring just doesn't seem to be in any hurry to arrive in Port Ainslee causing little excitement in the small village. Two conflicting policing sections, can Maxine Benson, chief of Port Ainslee's small police force, keep her cool and wits while the pushy provincial police both ignore and restrict her from doing her official job? The shocking discovery of a body in a ditch brings all enmity to the fore as Max tries to solve the crime with considerable interference from the overbearing head of the provincial police who are virtually scrambling the discoveries made by Max. It takes awhile but methodically Max has answers that are being ignored. Who could have murdered the man in the ditch and why does the body seem more frigid than expected? I enjoyed this book on several levels, a lot of plot packed into this Rapid Read. I will definitely be watching for more books by this author.

The Black Tortoise - a Peter Strand Mystery by Ronald Tierney

 based on Advance Reading Copy
Published by Orca Rapid Reads

I love a mystery with humor and Ronald Tierney has certainly given us that. The story is almost mystical at times with the occasional appearance of a black tortoise at the wharf. Not something one would expect in a story featuring a forensic accountant and a suspected fraudulently run organization. Or is it?

Almost ready to wrap up his investigation of a nonprofit organization, things rapidly change with the death of David, the "IT guy." How did  he end up in the ocean, and why didn't he try to climb out onto one of the piers? Was he killed? Murdered? This changes everything. Once again, Peter Strand has a possible case of fraud, if he can find it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was interesting, lots of possible suspects, and humorous. Definitely quirky characters, an entertaining quick read.

When Blood Lies - a Nicole Charles Mystery

by Linda L. Richards
published by Orca Books Rapid Reads

A bit of a slow start, but I really liked the book. Rookie newspaper reporter Nicole Charles is finding her perfect job to be somewhat boring, for want of a better word. At least she has a place in the large newspaper she is calling home. Through the unexpected yet unquestioned death of the society reporter, she falls into his job. She trained to be a news reporter, what happened to reporting on crimes? What happened to following up leads? For that matter, what happened to working in her own office? The paper is downsizing, as so much media is, and much of the staff now works online from home. Working from home slightly compensates for lack of office space, but Nicole needs a desk to work at. Her best option appears to be an auction, where she finds the "perfect" desk. As bidding starts she is not the only one who wants this desk. Just as she reaches the final limit to bid, police storm in and arrest the other bidder! An extreme but fascinating interruption but fruitful because the auction must begin again. With the only other bidder gone, she gets the desk for a much lower bid.

Looking it over, she notices someone has tried to get into one of the locked drawers. Is the key lost? What could be so important in this drawer? Her brother Kyle joins her to bring the desk home, but once it is installed the search for what secrets it may hold begins. At the same time, their parents' home is broken into. Is there a connection? If so, what could it possibly connect to?

This book has a lot of surprises, a story of love and loss, crime and vintage wine, memories and misguided moments. For readers who know Vancouver, it will bring familiarity, well depicted. Activity escalates throughout Nicole's investigations. I enjoyed the book for all these reasons. I look forward to another Nicole Charles Mystery. I'm left wondering, what happened to the wine?

Epic Game by William Kowalski

Author William Kowalski
Published by Orca Rapid Reads

A rather strange book, but addicting; you have to keep reading, The start of the story is not quite what is expected, but lures the reader in with its unexpected changes of direction. A lonely young lady, Kat, raised by an addictive poker player father begins to realize there is more to life when her best friend Jodie, possibly her only friend, dies and leaves her 10-year-old son David to be raised by her until his father is able to come from England to get him.

In the midst of training for an epic poker tournament, this is not going to help her win, or so she thinks. Life is often full of surprises and the life Kat is about to embark on is no different. This is a very unique book, not like any other I have read in the past. There are many elements to the story which bring about changes in Kat's lifestyle. A fast read, short but sweet and full of energy. I really enjoyed it.

Valentino Pier by Reed Farrel Coleman

Published by Raven Books - a Rapid Reads book
Advance Reading Copy (ARC)

For those readers who are unfamiliar with Raven Books' Rapid Reads, I highly recommend them for commuters, or coffee/lunch breaks. They are complete stories told in a condensed time.

PI Gulliver Dowd is not your usual protagonist. I love this character--tough, gritty with heart, his stature is short and twisted but don't underestimate him. I truly enjoy his characterization that is reminiscent of the old hard-boiled pot-boiler plots of his predecessors of the early days of pulp fiction.

This is the second Gulliver Dowd book I've read but was quite different from the first. In this outing the character's soft side comes forward without making him any less of a threat to his suspects or villains as the case may be.

Befriending a young boy, obviously a street kid, he helps him find his well-named dog, Ugly. A bond quickly begins to form between them regardless of Gulliver's hesitancy about pets, dogs in particular; but when the boy is attacked and near death it's Gulliver and Ugly who seek the answers. I enjoyed the book once again along with the characters old and new. Well-written series by Reed Farrel Coleman.

Dirty Work by Reed Farrel Coleman

Published by Raven Books

What a great new character in this Reed Farrel Coleman Rapid Reads book. These books, for those who may not know, are complete stories that can read in a long commute (not driving LOL.) This one grabbed me right away, with its physically flawed hero. PI Gulliver Dowd's honest toughness reminds me somewhat of a Humphrey Bogart type of PI. I loved this quick read very much; from the strength of character, his honesty, his heartbreak, and his genuine outlook on the hand he has been dealt. Searching for a missing teen, all these traits come to the fore. Gullie, as his friends refer to him, is a character I would definitely like to read about again. The storyline was tight, characters deftly written. I would love to read a Gulliver Dowd series, hopefully it will be in the works.

I won this book from the LibraryThing Giveaways batch for February 2013 in exchange for a short honest review.l