Murder at the Abbey, by Irina Shapiro, is the second in the Redmond and Haze Mystery series. This is rapidly becoming a favorite with me. Set just after the American Civil War, Captain Redmond comes with a troubled past. He expects to be in London just long enough to clear his grandfather's estate, but find he likes it here, and working with Constable Haze. This time, it's the body of a young woman, found near the ruins of a haunted abbey. She is there to paint. By all accounts, she is well liked, her husband loves her, who would want her dead? There will be secrets to uncover, of course, some of which folks want to stay hidden. Since he is American, he does not 'act properly' for a gentleman, often shocking the people he meets, and his staff (!). He will dress himself, thank you! A great blend of serious mystery and, um, cultural conflict. :-)

A new author and series here: Ms Mia and Murder at the Grand Island Hotel, by Jennifer Branch. Ms Mia is a widow. She and her late husband set up several luxury hotel destinations and she now visits each to be sure they are running well. She is good at fixing problems, and loves to visit and chat with both guests and staff. When she arrives at the Grand Island Hotel she notices several things but before she figures it all out there is a murder, then a second. It was easy to solve the 'why' of the first one, but not so much the second. Tracking down the 'who' would be harder. A great start for this traditional cozy. I especially like that Ms Mia never did anything stupid (it happens in other books). ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog