Dangerous Intentions by Donna Hill

Michelene Tyner lives in Louisiana. She owns her business. It's a shopping service called Exclusively Yours. Her business is about finding expensive art, clothing, shoes, office furnishings etc. for her clients. All of whom are rich and want only the best in their homes and on their bodies. Michelene is single. Her best friend is Lisa Renoir. Lisa Renoir owns The Gallery. She sells high end art that only the rich can afford. The novel drastically changes when Lisa Renoir is found in her home on the Bayou murdered. Michelene takes the news badly. She and Lisa were like sisters. However, before the murder Lisa had began to pull away and become very secretive about the man whom she was dating. In Dangerous Intentions by Donna Hill, all sorts of issues come into play such as interracial dating, secrecy, greed, theft.

 This question remained with me. Is it possible to have a best friend, one like a sister, and not really know her at all? This is Michelene's struggle. Did she ever really know the real Lisa Renoir? I found that question fascinating. Lisa Renoir appears strong and confident and happy. Really, she was needy and insecure.

All of the relationships are complicated and quite interesting fitting in with a complicated murder. Celeste Renoir, Lisa's mother, seemed odd to me. The words from her mouth are that she is a very grief stricken mother, and I think Donna Hill wanted her to seem like a very distressed mother, but she came across as cold, distant and demanding.

I truly enjoyed the novel. It was hard to put down. Liked the setting of Lisa's house, way, way back in a wooded area where anything could go down without anyone knowing what was happening. Percy is very interesting. Will not say more about him for fear of ruining the novel.  Again, I enjoyed it, and always have enjoyed a Donna Hill novel when I could get my hands on one. donnahill.com

Death By The Book by JULIANNA DEERLING

It is 1932 in Farthering St. John, England. The quiet community is interrupted by a series of murders. Each murder is similar. There is a handwritten note pinned to the front of the bodies. On the note is a quote from a play. The note is pinned to the front of the body with a Victorian hat pin. The handwriting is always the same. Other than the similarites in the way the bodies are left, there is nothing else. Just very hard cases to solve. Between Inspector Birdsong and his unasked amateur sleuth, Drew and Madeleine, the love interest of Drew and a friend named Nick, these seem like unsolvable crimes. Finally, the wrong man, sweet Roger, ends up in a prison cell. Death by the Book by JULIANNA DEERING is wicked fun at its best. There is even a cantankerous aunt, Aunt Ruth, from America. She is related to Madeleine. There is also an American tourist, Freddie. This is not a Christian mystery which is sweetie pie and peaches. It's a mystery with Christian messages underlying the plot like Drew's calling on God's protection when he was in real danger. However the plot and characters are three dimensional. The Thirties come alive in this small village with the old man who rides his bike regularly and a time when every one knew their neighbors name, and people like Aunt Ruth weren't scared to speak their mind.

I look forward to reading more or all of Julianna Deering's Christian mysteries. By the way, I never did figure out whodunnit which is wonderful. I did learn the name of a new poison, Veronal. I am always use to seeing Laudanum and Arsenic in the classic mysteries from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Drew and Madeleine. What a fine man! He's a great sleuth and a charmer.

I had a couple of problems. After Roger was put in jail,  he seemed to have gotten lost there. Did the author forget to go back and get him released? He was such a nice guy. Some characters you just knew couldn't have committed such horrible crimes. Since I love estates, I would have also liked to see descriptions of the estate: vintage pieces of art, busts, wallpaper, an antique table described. I didn't feel like I ever sat down in a room.  Thank goodness for Mr. Chambers. I do like a mystery with a cat or dog. Is it possible to have a good mystery without one of these furry dolls roaming around the estate or community? Loved it. juliannadeering