The Clever Detective by Linsey Lanier is a short story… emphasis on SHORT. Quirky, silly, magical… these all come to mind as does the need to suspend your wish for a developed over time romance. The pace is so brief and the list of characters surprisingly long (though cameo style appearances for most) that I would hate to give too much away. Let’s see what CAN I share… our main character (female) is a detective who has been called to find someone who she is told is a prince (not that she believes him to be so at first). Falling into a fairy tale style land she goes from person to person and place to place to try and solve the mystery of his disappearance.

I won’t say the romance is logical, heck the whole book ISN’T logical. But it is a good giggle and apparently the first in a series. So if you can suspend disbelief and have just a short time to sink into the fantasy world that is a book… go for it!!

The Clever Detective

Time for something a little different… well for a rather unique heroine. This first in a series by Penny Warner (A Connor Westphal Mystery) is set in small town in the California Gold Country. Connor is a deaf reporter turned detective out of necessity in this cozy mystery. The pace is good in this story and the characters interesting. I loved the premise of a woman born hearing who through an illness became deaf as a child. 

There were moments where I found Connor to be a little scattered at  time but she was fun and interesting and a tough gal. There was some editing issues which did take away from the enjoyment in reading. I would have loved a little more time with Connor’s dog as it is shown so prominently on the cover, and hope that it would become more of a player in the future books. As well, though Connor inherited a newspaper and defunct diner she seemed to do little with it, instead leaving everything with her teenage assistant (that she often refers to a slight attraction to). He (Miah) runs her errands and basically writes the paper while Connor ran here and there. 

There was a romance as well with the brother to the detective with an office in the same building as Connor’s newspaper. While I had my hiccups with this series I am still going to hunt down the next in the series. There is a lot going for this book, an unusual main character, a good mystery… definitely good for a lazy afternoon.

Dead Body Language