Dream a Little Scream - a Dream Club Mystery by Mary Kennedy

Published by Penguin Random House
Release date August 4, 2015

Talk about a nightmare...Who killed the cook?

How can something so good go so horribly wrong? Savannah, Georgia is hosting a famous chef/baker, author of very popular cookbooks. The Dream Club are all looking forward to meeting Sonia Scott...or are they? Ali and Taylor are not too sure about some of the new members. New members Etta Mae Beasley and Edward Giles have just joined the Dream Club and don't appear to be too impressed with Sonia, in fact, Etta Mae appears to have a bone to pick and doesn't mind telling everyone. Thanks to a friend, the members of the Dream Club are going to a live taping of Sonia's local interview.

Sonia makes a sudden decision to stay and do a book signing at the 'Oldies but Goodies' candy shop when a delay gives her some time to fill. The Dream Club of course are all in attendance and all is going exceptionally well as Sonia delights her audience with humorous patter. But suddenly she begins to gasp for air and collapses! Shock and confusion reigns as her assistant Olivia and Taylor rush around looking for the Epi-pen that Sonia always carries in case of just such an emergency, but they are unsuccessful, though Sonia never is without one in her purse and as back-up Olivia always carries a second one in her purse, neither are found. Olivia has frantically dumped both purses out and scrambled through everything but it is too late to save Sonia. Everyone is horrified.

The Dream Club holds an emergency meeting as everyone else leaves after the ambulance is gone. What could possibly have gone wrong? Every precaution was taken to avoid the sesame seeds that Olivia had warned Sonia was extremely allergic to. To follow that, with the shop already just managing financially, stories begin to fly that Sonia was poisoned at the Oldies but Goodies candy shop! Customers desert like rats from a sinking ship leaving Ali and Taylor struggling not just with trying to figure out how Sonia could have ingested anything that would cause her throat to swell so quickly and thoroughly, but how to regain customers who stop coming.

This is the second book of the Dream Club series by Mary Kennedy, well-researched and well-written fun. Another fascinating look at the odd mix of characters in both the club and in the lovely town of Savannah. Their dreams and interpretations are bizarre at times, dreams are hilarious at times and very often the clues suddenly take on a life of their own. A Dream Symbol Guide is included at the end of the book.

Hide & Seek: a Murder Mystery by Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield

Published by Kepler Press
Reviewed for Review The Book

An interesting telling of this murder mystery, this book is fun, like a game of Clue except we already know who the murderer is, who was murdered, how, why, and where. We know this because it happens very near the beginning of the book. Or do we? Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield has presented an interesting concept in writing this mystery. He has a descriptive way of writing, extending this to the several characters that are introduced later in the book. The reader needs to pay a lot of attention to wording. The mystery is complex, based on jealousy, greed, and unsavory lifestyle.

The story begins with a party hosted by David's Aunt Grace, where he meets a beautiful wraith of a girl, unsubstantial as air yet bewitching and willing. The girl is an actress, and they begin a relationship as mysterious as she is. Totally mesmerized by her, David becomes overcome with jealous thoughts whenever he is not with her. When she is killed, he is overtaken with guilt, grief and loss.

Aunt Grace and Dots, his sister, come up with a brilliant idea for a fascinating weekend... the Murder Mystery game being held on a small island off Cape Cod at an old courthouse converted to a Bed and Breakfast, which adds to the atmosphere of the book. Reluctant at first, he finally agrees to join in the fun. Shortly after arrival, there seems to be something more sinister afoot. David is shocked to find that one of the participants is the actual detective who was investigating the murder of Melanie Carson. Not only that, but when the "corpse", Marilyn Carpenter, is found, she is dressed exactly like Melanie was, right down to her silver blonde hair and Melanie's particular shade of lipstick. Even her nails are done the same. Who is playing mind games with David, and why? Is this a trap? When the roles were given out at the beginning of the game, he was designated as the murderer, his aunt designated as the detective. Who is the real detective? This is what David will have to find out as soon as possible.

Great characterization, a unique variation on the usual cozy murder mystery, surprises all through, psychological suspense and well-written. My attention was held throughout, my guesses all over the place. This book was fun and I'll be watching for more from this author.

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs

Reviewed for Edwards Magazine Bookclub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Canada

Is Tempe Brennan losing her mind? Or is there something more sinister going on? Is she really responsible for things disappearing and the anthropological mistakes she is making? In this novel, someone is trying to discredit and possibly oust Tempe, and is doing a moderately good job of it in the beginning but that soon escalates. Kathy Reichs has a writing style that builds the tension throughout, and drives you on to discover what you will find at the end. No disappointment there!

She is accused of mishandling an autopsy by an unknown tipster. With the body exhumation she just attended she counted and bagged 206 bones, in other words all bones accounted for. But strangely when she comes to complete reconstruction of the body, and looks for the most accurate marker she knew could give a positive ID, she finds she is now down to 203 bones. Tempe is then accused of mishandling evidence; she requests that she be allowed back to the site to see if they really had been left behind, but is turned down. When the newest member of the team is allowed to recheck the exhumation site, she remarkably 'discovers' the bones. Missed diagnoses are brought to light by the oh-so-helpful young Dr. Briel, who has insinuated herself into almost everyone's work. Tempe must find out how she could have made an error worthy of a warning that "someone's out to get you". She is also beginning to doubt herself.

Cases are suddenly piling up of suspected murders of elderly women, but each died in a different manner, in a different location, and over a period of years. Is there a link or not? Throw in a few old bones dredged from a lake just to bring a little more excitement into the mix and you have a number of mysteries to gnaw on. ID'ing most will be an almost fruitless job, but Tempe is sure she is up to the task. Teaming up with her detective partner Ryan, they both link up with colleagues and associates in Chicago and other areas over the elderly deaths trying to find a common denominator other than that they are all elderly, but when they arrive in Chicago, Tempe finds herself already in hot water. With all the red herrings, sidetracks, and downright dirty tricks in this book, you just know you are going to enjoy going along for the ride. Who of the many possibilities is out to get Tempe, and just how far will he or she go?

In the version of "206 Bones" I'm reviewing, there is an essay with facts and explanations of some of the things Temperance talks about which I found to be very interesting as well. I appreciated learning (in an aside), a bit more about the 1990 "Oka Crisis" that we in the west didn't hear about on the news at the time. The interaction with Tempe's family and Ryan were pure entertainment. Another great forensic mystery by a person who knows what she's talking about, Kathy Reichs.