That Touch of Ink by Diane Vallere

Henery Press

 

This is one of those light reads great for the beach or a rainy day. 

Even for the fabulous Madison Night, interior designer, receiving a rare five thousand dollar bill in the mail is not your average day.  Convinced that this bill is somehow connected to her past and a former lover, she is intrigued and starts to look into what the bill is really all about.  Soon someone is murdered, Madison is in a car chase, guns appear, a mysterious neighbor moves in and Madison is running for her life. She is also running from some pretty hot men. She isn't sure about the men in her life -  does she actually love one of them, are they good for her and can she actually trust them or anybody else for that matter. Aw Madison, dilemma is thy middle name.

While she is dealing with murder, a counterfeit ring, and staying one step ahead of the law, she comes home to find her apartment has been painted in just the right shade of daisy yellow by persons unknown, deals with some kooky clients and hides out in a house she recently inherited that shows potential from an interior design point of view.

Though I am writing this a little tongue in cheek, I did have fun reading this book.  There are numerous Doris Day references scattered throughout the story (i.e. the title) that you are either going to love (like me) or find very kitschy, much like any Doris Day movie. But if you want a few laughs, a good story, and to learn a little about counterfeiting then read That Touch of Ink.  You won't be bored.

 

You can read an excerpt on the author's web page http://www.dianevallere.com/that-touch-of-ink.html

Rosemary and Crime by Gail Oust

St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

Piper Prescott is recently divorced and she has invested all her money from the divorce settlement into opening a spice shop in her adopted town of  Brandywine Creek, Georgia.  Key to the opening of the store is a cooking demonstration to be given by the local celebrity chef.  Unfortunately, hours before the opening, Piper finds chef Mario dead on the kitchen floor of his own restaurant.  To make matters worse, Piper has touched the murder weapon and other key evidence at the crime scene making her the prime suspect of Wyatt McBride, the newly appointed police chief.  So she teams up with her BFF Reba Mae, the local hairdresser, to solve the crime before McBride arrests her for murder. 

Naturally, the daring duo stumble onto their clues rather than actually discovering anything through the use of brilliant sleuthing techniques.  There is the usual slate of quirky secondary characters, family issues and a little bit of a tease in the romance department.  This is definitely your typical cosy mystery.

It always amazes me how a well-written cosy mystery can turn murder into a rollicking good read and Rosemary and Crime is no exception.  This was a quick and entertaining light read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Perfect for the beach or a day when you are stuck in the house.