Katherine Hall Page Presents Malice Domestic 11: Murder Most Conventional

Inspector Ian Rutledge #18.5 - The Hair of the Dog

by Katherine Hall Page, Marcia Talley, Neil Plakcy

The Malice Domestic cozy anthology series returns with a new take on "cozy" mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition. Here are 22 original stories (and one modern classic reprint) set at conventions, conferences, and gatherings of all kinds! Included Conventional Wisdom, by Marcia Talley Djinn and Tonic, by Neil Plakcy The Vanishing Wife, by Victoria Thompson The Right to Bare Arms, by John Gregory Betancourt Message in a Bottle, by Su Kopil Anonymous, by Kate Flora What Goes Around, by B.K. Stevens The Hair of the Dog, by Charles Todd The Best-Laid Plans, by Barb Goffman A Dark and Stormy Light, by Gigi Pandian The Clue in the Blue Booth, by Hank Phillippi Ryan Wicked Writers, by Frances McNamara Coverture, by KB Inglee Dark Secrets, by Kathryn Leigh Scott Tarnished Hope, by KM Rockwood Not Forgotten, by L.C. Tyler Boston Bouillabaisse, by Nancy Brewka-Clark Killing Kippers, by Eleanor Cawood Jones Elemental Chaos, by M Evonne Dobsonv Outside the Box, by Ruth Moose The Perfect Pitch, by Marie Hannan-Mandel Two Birds with One Stone, by Rhys Bowen A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly Simmons

Genres: Mystery, Anthologies, Short Stories

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2016

About the author

Katherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazingly boring. Kept putting it down mid-story to do other things. What a disappointing return to the series; I couldn't even be bothered to finish it.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read A Dark and Stormy Light by Gigi Pandian.

[Rachel Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vanishing Act - Victoria Thompson
A charming mystery that seems like it may have been the inspiration for her Counterfeit Lady series. Cozy and inspiring your faith in humanity.

Two Bird with One Stone - Rhys Bowen
A great mystery and placed well within the series. Surprisingly it’s a well-solved mystery and no deus ex machina solution. No stumbling into it. But an actual mystery solved by detecting. The sly lines about the lassie were fun.

Conventional Wisdom - Marcia Talley
Interesting setting and characters, but I hate it when the solution is a jump-scare.

Djinn and Tonic - Neil Plakcy
Interesting set of characters with some humorous elements. No real mystery.

The Right to Bare Arms - John Gregory Betancourt
This is an absolute thing of beauty.

Message in a Bottle - Su Kopil
Mo

Anonymous - Kate Flora
The writing is a bit too cleverly removed third person, but it’s an enjoyable piece.

At Goes Around - B. K. Stevens
I think it’s supposed to be “it” goes around? An interesting story with a variety or characters. I’m never a fan of a cut-to-black mid-plot ending, but it is a short story.

The Hair of the Dog - Charles Todd
A great little mystery. I’m not sure I get the dog hair part. But a great setting.

The Best-Laid Plans - Barb Goffman
Hilarious. Loved it.

A Dark and Stormy Light - Gigi Pandian
I really enjoyed this one. A dark and stormy night leads to a mystery or two at a convention or two.

The Clue in the Blue Booth - Hank Phillippi Ryan
A murder at a Nancy Drew convention? Perfection. Wittily written.

Wicked Writers — Frances McNamara
Such a clever homage to Patricia Highsmith. And the clever title.

Coverture - KB Inglee
When women think of conventions, they think of Seneca Falls, I guess. And interesting piece, more for the history than the murder

Dark Secrets - Kathryn Leigh Scott
That, my friends, was a wild ride

Tarnished Hope - KM Rockwood
And I thought I hated charter schools. I liked it.

Not Forgotten - L.C. Tyler -
Nice, with an interesting twist at the end

Boston Bouillabaisse - Nancy Brewka-Clark
Funny but a bit high in the instep

Killing Kippers - Eleanor Cawood Jones
Ironically funny and moving

Elemental Chaos - M Evonne Dobson
Really great. Funny and interesting.

Outside the Box - Ruth Moose
Odd, and not in a good way.

The Perfect Pitch - Marie Hannan-Mandel
Uninspired in that the clue was shockingly obvious.

A Gathering of Great Detectives - Shawn Reilly Simmons
Very clever and enjoyable.

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonable selection of mini-mysteries.

[Jayne Subwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mixture of crime stories, all committed at a convention. Most are pretty average, one or two a little better.

[Selah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and rated “Two Birds with One Stone” by Rhys Bowen. Interesting, too short, great title.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Malice Domestic, the eleventh cozy anthology series takes a new direction with original stories set at conferences, conventions, and other such gatherings. Readers will recognize the authors included here; of special note: Hank Phillippi Ryan’s tale set at a Nancy Drew convention; Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge investigating a death at the Royal Geographer’s Society; and a Lady Georgiana Rannnoch tale taking place at the Scottish Gathering of the Clans.

Twenty-two cozy tales offer readers a delightful smorgasbord of choices; there’s something for everyone here.

Highly recommended.

[Morven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sampling of inventive little mysteries!