From the Queen

My father is slowly getting better.  At least I am getting him to eat. Summer colds take a hard toll on people that are older.  My neighbor's rooster is getting worse!  I swear that the thing crows all day long.  It starts early in the morning and keeps going until dark. I now see why our city enacted a bird and fowl ordinance (beware of people that want chickens)!

From the Queen by Carolyn Hart is a Death on Demand short story (extremely short).  Annie Darling is alone this week while her husband is away at Pebble Beach (for golf tournament).  Annie is about the close the bookstore for the day when Ellen Gallagher comes in quite excited.  Ellen owns the second hand store called Ellen’s Keepsakes.  Ellen received a book that she thinks might be worth a little money. It is a first edition of Poirot Investigations signed by Agatha Christie to the Queen (of England) in 1925.  If the book is authentic it could be worth over $100,000.  Annie promises to contact the right person for authentication for Ellen.

The next day the book is gone.  Ellen left it in her store on a shelf (a store without security alarms, cameras, and a window with a broken latch).   Ellen told three people (she should have kept her mouth shut about the book).  Annie decides to set a trap and catch the culprit.  Annie is lucky that Officer Hyla Harrison knows Annie cannot resist an investigation and keeps an eye out for her safety.

I enjoyed reading From the Queen.  It is a nice, well-written story. It is a very short story and the mystery is quickly solved.  The only thing I did not like was Ellen.  I found her to be a complete idiot (sorry, but it is very true) and very naïve.  Otherwise, a cute cozy mystery!  I like Annie Darling and look forward to reading more books in this delightful series.  I give From the Queen 4.5 out of 5 stars.  From the Queen can easily be read without having read any of the other books in the series (there are twenty-five other books in the series). From the Queen will be out on Tuesday, August 18, 2015.  I enjoy Carolyn Hart's Bailey Ruth Ghost Mystery series. Bailey Ruth is such a delightful, fun character.

I received a complimentary copy of From the Queen from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The review and opinions expressed are my own.

I am currently reading No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary.  If you are looking for a good suspense novel, check out Eeny Meeny by M. J. Aldridge (I will be providing a full review very soon).  Thank you for reading my book review. Have a great afternoon and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader