BLUE BLOODED

4 stars out of 5

I've been hooked on this series through four books, and of course, I was looking forward to reading this, the fifth. Now that I'm done, I'll call it okay, but it's my least favorite so far. In part, that's because the action crossed over almost to unbelievable; the rest of the turn-off came because I can't imagine living amid that kind of personal-life turmoil and don't much care for reading about someone else's - no matter how much I love the main characters.

They are, for the record, Lord Tony and Lady Kate Hetheridge, who have had to relocate while Tony's ancestral home, Wellegrave, is being renovated (part of the above-mentioned turmoil that I won't specify). Tony has just taken leave of his job as chief superintendent for New Scotland Yard and is trying his hand at private investigation while Kate, once his Yard subordinate, is dealing with a not-so-friendly new boss. At least she still has her best friend and co-worker,  Detective Sergeant Paul Bhar, for professional comfort (he's pretty much the same old, same old as in previous books, much to my delight).

For now, Tony and Kate have moved to a three-story condo in Westminster's newest high-rise; Kate isn't delighted, but her son, who appears to be somewhere on the autism spectrum, and Henry, the young son of her mostly estranged sister, Maura (whom Kate and Tony hope to adopt despite Maura's lawsuit to gain full custody) are having the times of their lives. Trying to drum up some business, Tony takes on a missing person case; it's for Mark, the son of wealthy acquaintances, who went missing when his twin sister Mariah took a supposedly intentional nosedive off the roof of a nearby high-rise. Meanwhile, Kate is heading up the investigation of the murder of a high-profile politician - an investigation that smacks of involvement of Tony and Kate's old nemesis and sworn enemy, Sir Duncan Godington.

The rest of the book intricately weaves all these characters and events together in a dark web that threatens lives, takes a couple of them and has a bang-up ending (for the most part implausible, but it gets the job done). All in all, it's a series entry I'd say at best is okay. But it does set the stage for the next one, which I hope to begin reading soon.

Blue Blooded by Emma Jameson (Lyonnesse Books, February 2018); 298 pp.

BLACK & BLUE

4 stars out of 5

A nudge from the cousin who introduced me to this wonderful series that a new one, the 7th, is now available reminded me that I've read just three of the books despite loving them. So, I vowed to carve out some time to catch up, starting with this, the 4th. Honestly, it's not my favorite of the bunch so far, but it's still very good and kept me wanting to read more about Lord and Lady Hetheridge (a.k.a. Tony and Kate).

Cantankerous relatives of New Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, wife of Anthony Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent for the Yard and Kate's boss, are making things miserable at their Mayfair home - even Tony's manservant, Harvey, is having a hard time keeping the peace. When the dead body of modern art dealer Granville Hardwick turns up at his garish home in a posh neighborhood, it's almost a relief that Tony and Kate can get away from the chaos - much of which centers around Kate's sister Maura's son Henry, who's been living with the Hetheridges.

Kate and Tony are handling the murder investigation with help from some characters from previous books including Paul Bahr, who's now living with his romance-book writing mother. She's going a bit bonkers because, as it turns out, her new boyfriend is the prime suspect in the murder.

Action heats up in both the home and murder case situations until both are brought to an end (no, I won't reveal details of either). Meanwhile, Tony is taking heat of a different sort that could well result in major changes to both his professional and personal life. All told? Another good one. I do, however, advise those new to the series not start with this one lest they become a bit confused. As for me, I'm already hoping to get started on the next one.

Black & Blue by Emma Jameson (Lyonnesse Books, May 2015); 262 pp.

SOMETHING BLUE

4 stars out of 5

This series continues to enthrall, "forcing" me to set aside other books I need to read and review just to find out what happens next in the adventures of Lord and Lady Hetheridge (this is the third installment). This one begins as the couple - Tony and Kate - have set a wedding date three weeks away but have turned over the planning to a good friend. Meantime, Tony - Baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent of the New Scotland Yard - and Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, must deal with a murder (with help, and one-liners that kept me chuckling throughout, from Kate's capable partner Paul Bhar).

This time, the victim is the head honcho of an oil company that has taken heat for a recent major oil spill. He's thrown a big party to divert attention from the damage, and sometime after the guests have gone, he was poisoned. The killer may well be one of the guests, which include Duncan Godington - a suspected serial killer who's managed to evade conviction on other occasions in past books.

To be sure, there's no shortage of suspects, most of them quirky. Riley, for instance, insists she was engaged to the still-married victim - and she claims to be a full-blooded Comanche as well as a "spiritual practitioner." Then there's the other fiance, who also claims the victim was planning to marry right after his divorce was final. Meanwhile, the actual wife - who will inherit the man's fortune - insists he wasn't planning to divorce her at all. Also factoring in is Jules, the daughter Tony didn't know he had until the previous book; she has, it seems, developed a fondness for Tony's old nemesis, Duncan.

Scotland Yard powers-that-be are also gunning for Tony - egged on by a jealous department rival. It doesn't hurt that Tony is about to marry a "common" woman - one who not only half his age but on the department payroll. All that, and a big wedding neither Tony nor Kate really want, must get sorted out by the end of the book - and they do, in the usual fine fettle. Another very good book in this highly entertaining series!

Something Blue by Emma Jameson (Lyonnesse Books, May 2013); 246 pp.

BLUE MURDER

 4 stars out of 5

When, thanks to a recommendation from a thoughtful cousin, I read the first book in this series, I was hooked. Even before I finished that one (Ice Blue), I'd headed back to Amazon to get the next two (and the day after that, the final two). I must say this one didn't delight me quite as much as the first, but neither did it in any way disappoint.

Lord Anthony Hetheridge, Baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent of the New Scotland Yard, didn't get the answer he wanted when, in the first book, he proposed marriage to the beautiful Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, a relatively new member of his team. But he's not about to give up; now, he's even got an engagement ring at the ready and is waiting for the right opportunity to make another request. But as fate would have it, murder intervenes. They, and other team member Paul Bhar, are called to a posh home in Chelsea, where two young men have turned up axed to death in the midst of an out-of-control fraternity-style party. One of the victims crashed the party, and the other just happens to be the boyfriend of Emmeline Wardle, whose conveniently absent parents own the home. Compounding the issue is that an old nemesis of Lord Hetheridge - a suspected serial killer - lives right next door.

Going on and on about how the investigation proceeds would do nothing except spoil the story for others, so I'll just say that most things up for grabs at the beginning are resolved by the end (and add that if things don't work out as planned between you and Kate, kind sir, message me and I'll happily send you my number). 

Blue Murder by Emma Jameson (Lyonnesse Books, December 2013); 254 pp.

MORIARTY

5 stars out of 5

Sherlock Holmes, the well-known detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 1880s, has long been a favorite of mine. Of course, I read most of the novels and short stories many years ago and continue to "follow" his adventures in every motion picture and TV show that turns up (actor Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal in TV's "Sherlock" is a favorite). But until recently - when it was a special Kindle offer - I had no idea this book (or its predecessor, The House of Silk, existed. In fact, it was an Amazon Best Book of the Month in December 2014, and I learned that both books were approved by Doyle's estate.

It was the description, though, that reeled me in: The mystery "explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls." I stayed on hooked all the way to the end - an end that, for the record, pretty much blew me away. 

The story begins not long after the two enemies tumbled over the falls, effectively eliminating one of the criminals sought by both the Pinkerton agency and Scotland Yard. Now, another one has moved to the top of the most-wanted list, and it appears he fancies himself a worthy successor to Moriarty. Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase, who provides a first-person narration here, has come to Europe from New York in hopes of tracking down the criminal, named Clarence Devereaux. Chase meets up with Scotland Yard Inspector Athelney Jones, a dedicated Holmes aficionado, and they join forces on a search that takes them through unsavory parts of London and puts their lives at risk with regularity. 

The writing style mirrors that of Doyle (that is to say a little bit stuffy, but totally fun), and references to that author's works are too numerous to mention. I don't think it's necessary to have read Doyle's works to enjoy this book, but on the other hand, a little familiarity with them certainly enhanced my enjoyment. I'll also emphasize that this is not a book about Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson per se; the references to both are many, but neither makes a personal appearance (Sherlock, of course, was lost at the Swiss falls before this book begins).

In summary, this is the first book in a while that elicited a "Wow!" from me when I got to the end. I also learned that author Horowitz has written a James Bond novel (another all-time favorite character of mine) set for release in the United States in September 2015, titled Trigger Mortis. Big surprise - I'm heading to Amazon to pre-order a Kindle version as we speak.

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz (Harper, December 2014); 309 pp.