Review: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

Mrs. Lola Woodby and her trusty companion and former cook, Berta are hired for the discreet retrieval of a stuffed rhinoceros head by Lord Sudbury. It seems like it will be an easy task with a big payoff. Plus the alcohol will be flowing freely at the mansion where the rhino's head is and Lola does enjoy a good gin and tonic.

Not long after they've arrived, the owner of the mansion turns up dead in what appears to be a suicide. Lord Sudbury retains their services asking them to look into Rudy's death. The ladies eat it up like chocolate and plunge in where angels fear to tread.

More death, gangsters, diamonds, and a dash of romance round out the plot. Not to mention that Lola is supposed to be sending out her sister's wedding invitations and picking a caterer for her.
There are gunshots fired, car chases, consorting with gangsters in a speakeasy, and plenty of prohibition era slang bandied about.

I have to say that I've enjoyed all the books in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. This is the third one and it's quite fun. There are a few good mysteries and plenty of humor. I will say Lola needs a better pair of shoes than t-straps for skulking around, but that's part of the fun as is her carting her dog Cedric everywhere they go.

If you enjoy mysteries with well developed quirky characters and twisty plots, then this would be a good book for you. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The mysteries are good. There is humor. And the main characters are entertaining.

Gin and Panic by Maia Chance is being released today, October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Waiting on Wednesday #172: Dancing with Death by Amy Myers

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which has been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm also linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Synopsis from the publisher:

Introducing chef-sleuth Nell Drury in the first of a delightful series of 1920’s traditional country house mysteries. 

1925. The fashionable Bright Young Things from London have descended on Wychbourne Court, the Kentish stately home of Lord and Lady Ansley, for an extravagant fancy dress ball followed by a midnight Ghost Hunt – and Chef Nell Drury knows she’s in for a busy weekend. What she doesn’t expect to encounter is sudden, violent death. 

When a body is discovered in the minstrels’ gallery during the Ghost Hunt, Nell finds herself caught up in the police investigation which follows. As the darker side of the Roaring Twenties emerges and it becomes increasingly clear that at least one person present that night has a sinister secret to hide, Nell determines to unmask the killer among them. Could the Wychbourne Ghosts hold the key to the mystery?

 Dancing with Death by Amy Myers is due out May1, 2017 from Severn House.

Why am I waiting on this one? I have a fondness for mysteries that take place in the 1920s. This one sounds a little different from the ones I've been reading. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Come Hell or Highball by Maia Chance

"Desperate ladies are capable of far more than people might suppose." True. Berta and I were desperate ladies and look at the soup we'd dipped ourselves into."
- Berta speaking to Mrs. Lola Woodbury who then has a thought.
location 4134 on my Kindle.

Mrs. Lola Woodby, society matron, and her good friend and cook Berta take on a task of retrieving a reel of film per a young dancer's request when the young woman offers them $3000 to do so. If they didn't need the money, would it have ever come to this? Probably not. Lola would have kept on drinking highballs, reading detective novels, and eating chocolate cake as past times.

But Lola's husband Alfie dies leaving her with more debts than money. His brother inherits the house and kicks her out. He expects her to go home to her family, but Lola doesn't fancy that. She, her pooch Cedric, and Berta go to Alfie's love nest in Washington Square and hole up there. When the rent comes due, they decide to embark on the adventure of retrieving the reel for Ruby Simpkin. Adventure most certainly follows as well as humor, humiliation, gunshots, and a handsome Private Investigator.

I liked Lola and Berta a lot. They are both funny in their own ways. The mystery also reminded me a little of the Miss Fisher mysteries that also take place in the 1920s. The book Come Hell or Highball is set to be book one in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. There is a lot of humor in the book, but it also makes a good mystery. Where is the reel and how will they get it back? They aren't accustomed to these kinds of activities. And what will happen when people associated with the reel seem to start dropping like flies. It's a good historical cozy mystery. It was a fast read for me. I couldn't put it down. Read it in 2 days.

I would recommend this mystery for someone who likes humorous mysteries, the era of the 1920s, and light reading.

Come Hell or Highball by Maia Chance is scheduled to be released by Minotaur Books September 15, 2015.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The quote comes from an advance reading copy and may be different in the final form.