Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells

Published: 2008
Pages: 293
Genre: Mystery
Series: Della Cooks Mystery book 1

Della has just started her new cooking show "In the Kitchen With Della". On the day of her first live episode, the worst possible thing happens - a taste tester drops dead after eating Della'a chocolate "killer" mousse. Struggling to prove her innocence, Della discovers family secrets, greed, and the mystery behind the murder.

Who doesn't love a good murder mystery? And to top it all off, this one includes a cooking show! Those are two things that I enjoy, so Killer Mousse was a natural pick off the library shelf for me.

On the whole, this book was pretty decent. The writing is nothing special, and at times I found it to be cheesy. The dialogue was sometimes predictable, and I felt like a few of the characters were flat in terms of their personality. However, I didn't start this novel expecting to find exquisitely written phrases and perfection on every page, so this wasn't a huge deal for me. For what I was expecting, Killer Mousse delivered!

As for the plot, it was original and kept me guessing until the very end. Like I mentioned in my Midway Checkup, I honestly could not figure out the mystery on my own. There were many clues that pointed me in many directions, so I was always anxious to keep on reading! One chapter leads to the next, which leads to you not being able to slip that bookmark in and stop reading.

However, I do have one more complaint. The ending was really abrupt! Della has this huge speech about how she discovered the killer, and whithin the next page or two the novel ends. I would've preferred to find out what happens after she solves the crime, how her cooking show is going, and the criminal's punishment.

Final say: This is a solid start to a series that I hope will soon contain more books. If you enjoy mystery and are looking for an entertaining yet light read, consider Killer Mousse! As long as you don't have high expectations in terms of style and character development, you should be satisfied with this one.

Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie

Published: 1973
Pages: 400
Genre: Mystery

Tommy and Tuppence have just moved into a new house and inherited some old books. While sorting through them, they discover a hidden message that says "Mary Jordan did not die naturally. It was one of us." Curious, they do some investigating into her rarely talked about murder and try to solve the crime. Meanwhile, it seems that Mary Jordan's enemies are still on the loose and ready to kill once again...

This review might be a tad biased because I have a hidden love for Agatha Christie! She's written 80 crime novels, and I've probably read 15 or 20 of them so far. I picked this one up from the bookstore because it was the only one they had that I hadn't read up to that point.

In comparison to Christie's other books, this one is probably at the bottom of the pile for me. Even though it was 400 pages, it felt short and not as substantial as the others. The storyline didn't contain the suspensefulness that I'm used to, and the murder wasn't as shocking as it normally is. It's hard to make references to the book because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but trust me - I'm an experienced Agatha Christie reader! If you've read any of her books, you'll be familiar with Hercule Poirot, the famous detective that is a reoccuring character in her stories. I love him as a sleuth, but he wasn't featured in Postern of Fate. So that might be one of the factor that contributed to my disappointment, who knows?

As I said before, I'm a bit biased when it comes to Christie, so there were some things I did enjoy, of course. As much as I adore Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence were a cute couple nonetheless. The dialogue between them was often comical and sounded very authentic, exactly how a married couple would converse in real life. Since this is a murder mystery novel, character development is a crucial aspect to the story. Much more important than vividly describing the scenery or setting. I feel that Christie's writing excels in this way, and she tends to focus on writing conversations between people. If you're someone who does not appreciate a book that is probably 80% dialogue, this one might not be the wisest choice for you.

Final say: If you're a dedicated Christie reader who has already developped a love and understanding for her novels, you should eventually read this one. But if you're someone who is just getting into the mystery genre, this would not be a good starting point.