Book ~ "The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb" (2014) Cathy Ace

From Goodreads ~ A dream vacation at a Mexican beach resort swiftly dissolves into a nightmare for criminologist and foodie Cait Morgan when her significant other, Bud Anderson, is wrongly arrested for the murder of the local florist, a gifted plantswoman.

With Bud’s freedom, and maybe even his life, at stake, Cait has to fight the clock to work out which member of the small Mexican community might have killed the respected florist and why. Investigating under the watchful gaze of the local police, Cait has to keep her relationship with Bud a secret and she soon discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. Peeling back layers of deceit to reveal even more puzzles, Cait struggles with a creeping sense of unreality as she desperately tries to save Bud ... and ultimately, herself.

Cait is a middle-aged criminologist in Vancouver, BC, and has been dating Bud, a retired police officer, for almost a year.  They head off to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, for their first ever vacation.  When they arrive at the resort, Bud heads out for supplies.  As Cait watches out the window, someone screams that the owner of the flower shop across the street has been murdered and Bud is found with his hands around the victim's slashed neck.

Bud is immediately arrested and put in jail.  Cait pretends that she doesn't know him and because of her background, is asked to help the local police prove that he did it.  This way she can prove that he didn't.  In addition, there is a serial killer on the loose and the local police chief suspects that it's Bud.  So much for their tropical vacation!

It is written in first person perspective in Cait's voice.  I liked that Cait wasn't perfect ... she was 48-years-old, shorter than average, overweight and smokes.

I thought it was unbelievable that Bud was arrested for the murder in the first place.  He was found with his hands around the victim's throat that had been slashed.  Everyone assumed that he had just slashed her throat and was now strangling her?!  My assumption would have been that he was trying to stop the bleeding but he didn't even try to explain.  Cait has an eidetic memory, which serves her well.  I found it odd when she went into a weird dream-like state to try to solve the murder.  The ending ("whodunnit") was a bit convoluted but entertaining.

This book is the third in the Cait Morgan mystery series (I've read and liked the first two) and I liked it.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided.  I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "The Corpse with the Golden Nose" (2013) Cathy Ace

From Goodreads ~ A heartfelt plea to look into the death of a world-famous vintner goes hand in hand with the opportunity to attend an exclusive gourmet event in British Columbia's stunning wine country. How can overindulgent foodie and criminologist Cait Morgan resist?

Sure that the award-winning owner of a family-run vineyard was murdered, Cait shares her findings with Bud Anderson, a retired homicide cop. But he is convinced that the woman took her own life, whatever her grief-stricken sister might say. That is, until death strikes once again, in the neat rows of grapevines that clamber up the banks of magnificent Lake Okanagan. 

Uncovering obsessions that might have fuelled murderous thoughts among the victim's wacky neighbours is a start but as Cait unravels the clues, she realizes that more lives are at stake. Can she think, and act, quickly enough to thwart the killer?

Cait is a middle-aged criminologist in Vancouver, BC, and dating Bud, a retired police officer.  Bud's wife, Jan, had recently been murdered and he'd joined a grief support group.  He was buddied online with Ellen, whose sister, Annette, had recently committed suicide.  Ellen doesn't believe that and thinks her sister was murdered.  She owns a family winery in Kelowna, BC, and invites Bud to a gourmet event weekend so he can informally investigate and figure out who murdered Annette.  Cait goes as his "other".  Bud from the start believes Annette did indeed commit suicide but Cait goes in with an open mind and is looking forward to the delicious food and beverages.

This book is the second in the Cait Morgan mystery series (and the second book I've read by this author) and I liked it.  Though part of a series, it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided (I recently read and liked the first one).

It is written in first person perspective in Cait's voice.  I liked that Cait wasn't perfect ... she was 48-years-old, shorter than average, overweight with greying hair she usually pulls back into a ponytail.  She enjoys her own company and isn't a joiner. 

I thought that Cait and Bud getting together at the end of the first book was too quick ... his wife had just been murdered and he suddenly realized he was in love with Cait and wanted to get married.  In this book, they acknowledge that they love each other but seem to be taking it slow.

I found there were a lot of characters and I had a hard time keeping them straight at times.  Occasionally I would have to stop and try to remember who was who and what they did ... no problem with the more flamboyant ones.

The ending ("whodunnit") was a bit convoluted but entertaining.

I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "The Corpse with the Silver Tongue" (2012) Cathy Ace

From Goodreads ~ In the south of France where hatred simmers in the heat, a man seemingly admired, and certainly feared, drops dead at a dinner party. All of the guests fall under suspicion, including Welsh-Canadian professor Cait Morgan. A criminologist who specializes in profiling victims, Cait sets out to solve the murder - and clear her name. 

Add to this the disappearance of an ancient Celtic gold collar said to be cursed and there you have the ingredients for a Nicoise salad of death, secrets, and lies. Will Cait find the killer before she, too, falls victim to a murderer driven by a surprising and disturbing motive?

Cait is a criminologist from Vancouver, BC, in the south of France to present a paper for a colleague.  She runs into a former boss, Alistair, who invites her to his birthday party that evening.  Despite the fact that she hates him, she can't say no.

That night at the party, everyone falls ill (it's discovered they have been poisoned) and Alistair dies, and an expensive historical necklace Alistair was going to give his wife disappears.  Those at the party are under suspicion ... Alistair's young flaky wife, the novelist who lists upstairs, a couple of elderly neighbours, an museum director and even Cait.  It gets more suspicious when another attendee of the party is found dead.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It is written in first person perspective in Cait's voice.  I liked that Cait wasn't perfect ... she was 48-years-old, shorter than average, overweight with greying hair who usually wears "black bouncy, draper layers that suits most occasions and which never ever creases".  She wears horizontal stripes because though they say they make you look wider, jokingly believes that people will think it's the stripes that making her look twenty pounds heavier.  She enjoys her own company and isn't a joiner.  I thought the story was interesting.  I wasn't crazy about the ending, though ... I didn't find her potential love interest believable at that point.

This book is the first in the Cait Morgan mystery series and I look forward to reading the others.