The Game's Afoot - Can You Solve These Mysteries

by Donna Huber

It's definitely feeling like summer - hot, humid, and thunderstorms. But truly, it is great weather for sitting on the porch with a cool drink and a good book. If you are looking for something entertaining when it is too humid or wet to do anything else, check out these two new books.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Death at the Highland Loch by Lydia Travers

May 2025; Bookouture; 9781836188049
audio (9h 21m), ebook, print; cozy mystery

I don't usually love the first book in a new cozy mystery series (I often skip them), but this one was pretty enjoyable. I listened to the audiobook which I'm glad I did since it is set in Scotland and I can't ever get the Scottish burr right in my head.

I really liked the main character Lady Poppy Proudfoot. While she isn't exactly a trained private investigator, she is more professional than your typical amateur cozy mystery sleuth. She would like to be a true PI, and she has a law degree. 

At first, I thought it was strange that there were so many young widows but then I remembered that it is 1924 and there were a lot of young widows at that time because of the Great War. I also kept thinking of Downton Abbey while listening to the story. It wasn't just the time period that gave me that vibe but also because there were American movie people staying at the Balfour estate (if you've seen the Downton Abbey movies then you know why I made the connection). 

At first I thought the voices for the Americans were obnoxious but after a bit I think that was supposed to be the point. They were loud and used excessive slang. 

If you like a little romance in your cozy mystery, I think there is a very good chance one will transpire between Poppy and the Inspector. I liked the Inspector - he doesn't immediately dismiss Poppy especially when she brings him information he didn't have. There interactions reminded me of Eleanor Swift and Instpecitor Hugh Sheldon except Poppy and Mackenzie don't butt heads nearly as much as those two did in the beginning.

This series is off to a very promising start, and though I don't really have room for another cozy mystery series, I will be very tempted to read the next book in the series.

Buy Death at the Highland Loch at Amazon

Their Double Lives by Jamie Lynn Hendricks

May 2025; Scarlet; 978-1613166048
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); suspense

Often when I read I take on the emotions that the characters are feeling. That can be difficult to deal with when I read thrillers. But I love twists of a good thriller. Life is stressful enough without adding fictional tension so I was happy to find this suspense novel.

It's not a roller coaster read, but it is intriguing as bits and pieces of the story are doled out. 

While the book is in third person, we get chapters focused on particular characters so we get a more in-depth look into their thoughts and motivations. Most of the story is told in alternating chapters by Poppi Jade "PJ" and Kim. But later in the book other characters come in. It is an interesting storytelling method and it worked really well for this story.

It is not a traditional mystery in the sense that there is an investigation with a detective (amateur or otherwise). It was fun to get little pieces of the puzzle with each chapter and I was able to put most of the puzzle together before I got to the end. Which made me feel very satisfied.  

This would make a great book to read by the pool this summer, as it is a real page-turner. 

Buy Their Double Lives at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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