Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz - an homage to Agatha Christie and cozy English village mysteries. The story starts with Susan Ryeland reading the manuscript of author Alan Conway's latest book. She doesn't like the author much but does like his books featuring Atticus Pund, a German detective. We then read the book within the book, Magpie Murders. But that book ends suddenly just when Atticus is about to reveal all. And when Alan Conway is found dead it looks like there won't be an ending after all. I was really looking forward to this book but have to admit I was a little disappointed. I had a real problem with the book in the book, there were many characters introduced all at once and I found the story a little disjointed. I put the book down several times thinking I would quit. But things picked up about halfway when we get back to the"real" world. I guessed the murderer in the "real" book, but was quite surprised at the solution to Magpie Murders. Anthony Horowitz is the creator of Foyle's War and a writer for Midsomer Murders.
3.5 stars
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Glass Houses by Louise Penny - the 13th Inspector Armand Gamache begins in a courtroom with the inspector on the witness stand. He is recounting the events that occurred in Three Pines a year ago, beginning with the appearance of a mysterious person clad in black who stands on the village green. We then go back and forth in time as things gradually unfold. The author handles the buildup in tension wonderfully, I couldn't wait to get to the end. Everything is on the line for Gamache including his career and family. Just a little bit of niggling irritation as the jumps in time were sometimes confusing. And I do get tired of the police corruption angle but that's not the focus.
5 stars
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Cast Iron by Peter May - the sixth in the Enzo Macleod series. Enzo is still working his way through a set of cold cases he took on as the result of a bet. This one is the murder of a young girl 20 years ago. Everyone thinks she was killed by a man in prison for other murders but he denies it. I don't find Enzo a likeable man, he seems to be a serial womanizer with a messy personal life. I think I may have started a previous book in the series and disliked him so much I quit. This is a series that definitely needs to be read in order. The mystery part was okay but I liked few of the people.
3 stars
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