The Readin Roos

Not at all a bad collection of mysteries from the Crime Writers' Association. I picked it up because there's a story from one of my British serialists, Catherine Aird. Her work has really grown on me and I've come to love her characters.

I love O. Henry-esque twists, which add a delightful layer to many short stories. A few that captured the idea well in this collection: "This Way Nobody Gets the Blame," by Lesley Grant-Adamson and "Disposing of Mrs. Cronk," to name two.

Annie Capshaw is at it again. Murder and mayhem seem to follow our cute little heroine like an adoring puppy, only murder isn't quite so cute - especially when it's a body on the floor of her friend's kitchen store.

Annie's character takes a few unexpected turns at the top of this novel, offering a chance for Ms. Bliss to paint her in a little different light. Other characters like Annie's beau Jim have relaxed into their roles better in this story, as well, and they seem to be growing together quite nicely.

Miranda Bliss writes a fun, easy-to-read mystery romp. This is the third of the formulaic but fun Cooking Class mysteries featuring Annie Capshaw and her sometimes vapid, but always earnest best friend Eve DeCateur, the rather predictably sexy siren with a heart of gold. The pairing is cliche, but - meh - it works.

An interesting twist to these mysteries is that Annie is to a kitchen what the iceberg was to the Titanic, yet she's managed to become the business manager of Bellywashers, a pub in Arlington, Virginia. Jim MacDonald, Annie's very Scottish beau, is the owner, chief cook, and the instructor of the cooking class.