Read: Checking out Crime (#70-2022)

Checking Out Crime by Laurie Cass

(Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, Book 9)

Significant life changes are sort of, kind of happening for Minnie in this one.  One being the relationship with Rafe that she absolutely didn't see coming in the last book. But there is of course another mystery to solve and Rafe wants to be involved, at least to try to keep Minnie out of trouble.  

It's not the ideal crime-fighting duo when Rafe is also trying to finish the house he's been building so that Minnie can move out of her houseboat before it's too cold to stay there. And Minnie is not terribly helpful at making the choices she needs to make to expedite that process. Some of her phobias are absolutely ridiculous, but they are also endearing, so I won't critique them too much. 

This is the last of the series at the moment - a new one comes out in October and I'm kind of excited about it.  Let's see what future mischief Minnie and Eddie can get into. 

(#70-2022)

Read: Gone with the Whisker (#69-2022)

Gone with the Whisker by Laurie Cass

(The Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, Book 8)

It's summer season in Chilton, and Minnie has taken in her niece for the summer.  Katrina is an interesting addition to the dynamic of Minnie's life and her roommate doesn't exactly fit into the idyllic aunt/niece summer fun expectation that Minnie held for the event. 

Especially when Katrina haphazardly comes across a murder victim at the 4th of July celebrations.  We see how Katrina copes with trauma (and how similar she is to her aunt) while both of them try to solve the mystery and come to terms with some significant changes in their lives. 

This is the novel that really turned me around on Minnie.  She's been growing on me novel by novel, but this one really made her feel like a person.  There are some pretty significant changes to her life here, and the way she deals with them and still keeps things stable on some level are telling.  She acted like a real person, rather than just a character in a book. 

The events are still a bit outlandish, but I wouldn't want to read the story if things weren't at least a little bit crazy. 

(#69-2022)

Read: Booking the Crook (#67-2022)

Booking the Crook by Laurie Cass

(The Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, Book 7)

A new library Board Chair may throw a wrench into Minnie's days of spreading reading and cheer aboard the Chilton Library Bookmobile.  

And then, of course, there's the murder of a Bookmobile regular. Minnie, Eddie and friends need to find out what happened, and why at the same time as they try to save the Bookmobile from whatever fate could be heading its way. 

There are always a lot of conclusions that are needlessly jumped to in a cozy mystery novel, and this book is absolutely no different. Minnie is the queen of assumptions and jumping ahead to get where she wants to be. But in the safest, least athletic way possible. 

In almost all cases, it turns out the right way for her and that's just part of what makes these a joy to read. You might not always be stumped by the whodunit portion, but it very rarely gets there in a way that you'd expect. 

(#67-2022)

Read: Wrong Side of the Paw (#61-2022)

Wrong Side of the Paw by Laurie Cass

(The Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, Book 6)

Another crazy caper for librarian Minnie Hamilton and her cat, Eddie as they travel around a region of Northern Michigan on the Chilton Library Bookmobile. 

This time around, we widen Minnie's circle of friends and benefactors and also negotiate Minnie's relationships.  I've gotten used to some of the quirks about Minnie that used to make me dislike the character and now find her endearing. Most of the time.  

The mysteries get stranger and stranger and this one is no different. The comparisons between Minnie and Aurora Teagarden (Charlaine Harris' librarian crime-solver) are still very obvious, but the addition of the Bookmobile and of course Eddie make this series just different enough to keep my attention. 

(#61-2022)

Read: Cat With a Clue (#57-2022)

Cat With a Clue by Laurie Cass

(The Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, Book 5)

Minnie Hamilton once again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation - this time when she finds a body in her very own library. Chilson also experiences a number of very strange break-ins so Minnie, and of course, Eddie, find themselves doing whatever they can to solve the crime and stop terrible rumours swirling around town. 

I Read: Pouncing on Murder (#37-2022)

Pouncing on Murder by Laurie Cass

(Bookmobile Cat Mysteries, book 4)

Minnie Hamilton is back with the Bookmobile.  And of course, the Bookmobile Cat. This time, she gets caught up in a mystery, when Henry, a curmudgeonly member of the community, dies.  Coincidentally, through the Bookmobile, Minnie becomes friends with his best friend and starts to question the situation. 

Read: Borrowed Crime (#35-2022)

Borrowed Crime by Laurie Cass

(Bookmobile Cat Mysteries, Book 3)

Minnie Hamilton is still spreading library love, driving her bookmobile (and the bookmobile cat) around the neighbouring areas to Chilson, Michigan.  But she still can't seem to escape getting involved in the local mysteries. 

This time a volunteer on that very Bookmobile dies (or more accurately is killed) while travelling with Minnie. Minnie needs to find out what really happened before Stephen and the library board pull funding for the Bookmobile, and something else happens. 

Read: Tailing a Tabby (#28-2022)

Tailing a Tabby by Laurie Cass

(Bookmobile Cat Mysteries Book 2)

Librarian Minnie Hamilton runs the Bookmobile program for the town of Chilson, Michigan. While out on a run, with her cat Eddie, Minnie is flagged down by a woman in distress. Minnie assists and thinks she's had enough trouble for that day but she's in for a bunch more as she works to find justice for a new friend. 

I Read: Sleep Like a Baby

Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris

(Aurora Teagarden Mysteries book #10)

And the last book of the series. There's a lot going on in this one, and I'm super glad there hasn't been a comparative movie so far, because I'm sure that it would have missed a lot. I'll be happy to see how they make this into a move later. Though it's completely possible that they've already taken it in pieces and I didn't even notice. 

This actually wraps Aurora's story up neatly and leaves you satisfied that, while her adventures will never be completely over, she may actually be able to live happily ever after.

#65-2021

I Read: All The Little Liars

All The Little Liars by Charlaine Harris

(Aurora Teagarden Mysteries book #9)

I really wondered how this book would play out, considering how the comparative movie went. But I find I actually prefer the book. Half-brother Philip is a welcome presence in the books, and I like that he's a bit younger so it adds a different shape to his story. 

This story is a little more disturbing than previous ones, mostly because the victims here are teenagers, so there's more at stake. But it ends, as usual, with Aurora saving the day after she's bungled her way into the middle of the problem. 

As the penultimate book in the series (currently - I have no idea if there will ever be more.) you can see how this is starting to shape up as a happy ending for Aurora. But you know she'll never stay completely out of trouble. 

And we're on to #10 - the last of the series. 

#64-2021

I Read: Poppy Done to Death

Poppy Done to Death by Charlaine Harris

(Aurora Teagarden Mysteries book #8)

Poor Poppy.  She really was done to death!  This one is also a Hallmark movie but in a very modified form.  I enjoyed the relationships that exist to Aurora in this particular book. It's family, but not really. 

There's a lot to unpack in this particular story, and some little trinkets that you didn't really expect, but probably should have.

On to #9.

#62-2021

I Read: Last Scene Alive

Last Scene Alive by Charlaine Harris

(Aurora Teagarden Mysteries book #7) 

I really enjoyed the movie version of this book, so I wasn't sure what I was in for with this book. There are a lot of details that are changed because Aurora is a different character in the books than in the movies and her life is slightly different as well - with some missing characters as noted for book #6. 

But this book didn't really disappoint.  It brought back Robin after the loss of Martin and still kept connected to happenings in past stories even while moving forward. It's interesting that the movies follow the Robin storyline more closely than any other of Aurora's love interests. Still, this book can't be taken as a manual to the movie.  Enough so that there's still suspense, even after having seen the move. 

On to #8.

#61-2021

I Read: A Fool and His Honey

A Fool and His Honey by Charlaine Harris

(Aurora Teagarden Mysteries book #6)

Working my way through the Teagarden mysteries - this one has a "matching" movie, which didn't really do it justice. There are a lot of details in this book that didn't make it into the movie and might have made the movie that much more exciting. Perhaps another movie can be made to cover the alternate story.  

The part I find interesting in the last couple of these mysteries is that the Hallmark movie series never even touched on the courtship and marriage with Martin. In the movie world, it's as if he never existed, which is why this book could never be a complete movie. 

On to #7. 

#60-2021

I Read: The Julius House

The Julius House by Charlaine Harris

(Fourth in the Aurora Teagarden mysteries)

This one is a little bit different than the other Aurora's to this point. It doesn't start out with a murder. Just a mystery. And that's not even the front and centre story until mid-way through the book. It's a fun little twist on the traditional cozy mystery. 

Most of this book is spent on Roe's new marriage and her finding out things about her new husband that adversely affect her and how she feels about him. But he bought her a house that had been abandoned after the family living in it had disappeared, so she obviously distracts herself by looking into that disappearance, rather than looking into the mystery that is her husband. 

I don't know whether it's a typically Southern response or not, but it seems different than the reaction I'd have. I'd want to know more about the husband before I worried about the strangers who used to live in what was now my house.  Maybe that's still to come. 

#30-2021