WHEN WOMEN WERE DRAGONS by Kelly Barnhill

from March 15, 2022: Volume XC, No. 6

THE DOLPHIN HOUSE by Audrey Schulman

Art. Trouble is, she also finds a dead body over by the Patterson crypt, a mausoleum filled with deceased members of one of McGill’s most prominent families. When Sheriff Manny Gilford confirms that the body isn’t another Patterson but Dexter Corbin, Stella knows there’ll be an abundance of suspects because Dexter managed to rub most of McGill the wrong way. And since Manny is locked in an election fight to the death with his deputy, Stella thinks it only right to offer the handsome lawman her help solving this latest crime. Sleuthing, smooching, and Southern charm fight for center stage in the latest Moonlight Magnolia prequel.

Winsome but lightweight.

A SPRINKLE IN TIME

Mentink, Dana Poisoned Pen (360 pp.) $8.99 paper | May 24, 2022 978-1-72823-158-7

Can the joys of ice cream overcome the horror of murder? Now that Trinidad Jones has bonded with the other two ex-wives of incarcerated crook Gabe Bigley living in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, by solving a murder, she’s determined to make the Shimmy and Shake Shop into a moneymaker with support from her dog, Noodles; her grandfather Papa Luis; and the other exes. She’s learning to have more faith in her relationship with hazelnut farmer Quinn Logan. But her confidence is dented when Papa Luis finds a dead body in his car, and Quinn, without explanation, sells land to Forge Emberly for a project he’s said he abhors. After the body vanishes and turns up in a lake, Gabe’s sister, Police Chief Cynthia Bigley, identifies it as that of Emberly, who’d apparently collected quite a few enemies. Although Trinidad’s busy trying to make as much money as she can from the Alpenfest festival before winter sets in, she’s so worried that Quinn could be involved that she finds time for a little sleuthing. On top of the current murder, there’s also a renewed interest in the long-ago disappearance of Cherry Lighter, whose connections among current residents include her former boyfriend, now a judge, and the mayor. Trinidad puts her life on the line among all these suspects, hoping that her fragile trust in Quinn won’t be destroyed.

You’ll be satisfied just from reading about the ice cream concoctions in this pleasant, character-driven cozy.

RENOVATED TO DEATH

Polito, Frank Anthony Kensington (288 pp.) $15.95 paper | May 31, 2022 978-1-49673-558-4

Polito debuts a cozy featuring a gay couple who get entangled in a murder. Following the success of their HGTV show, in which they renovated their Craftsman in the upscale Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods, mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and his life partner, actor JP Broadway, are looking for another house to renovate. Their eyes fall on an untouched Tudor Revival that’s the former family home of twins Tom and Terry Cash, who have very different ideas about the place’s future. Tom wants to renovate and sell it; Terry wants to keep it a shrine to their parents. The house needs a lot of work, but the boys are game even after Tom’s found dead at the bottom of the rickety staircase. Detective Nick Paczki, who dated PJ’s sister in high school, can’t believe anyone would be murdered in Pleasant Woods, so he’s ready to write it off as an accident; PJ has a feeling there’s more than meets the eye here. Though their detective experience has been limited to the mysteries PJ’s written and the cop JP’s played on TV, they decide to do a little investigating. The twins are 50, but Tom, who was well known for dumping his lovers when they hit 30, left behind two unhappy past lovers and his current lover, who was fearful of the same fate. As if that weren’t enough, the large outstanding debt on his bar, where Terry’s the bouncer, provides plenty of suspects for the inquisitive duo to vet.

The quirky, humorous drama queens and jealous lovers more than make up for the so-so mystery.

science fiction & fantasy