Death of an Honest Man

Hamish Macbeth is back in another installment of MC Beaton’s series. This time, he is investigating the murder of a man known for offending everyone he meets with his “honesty.” Although nothing ever really seems to change in Hamish’s life, at first I was impressed that Beaton seemed to be embracing progressive ideas of equality in the book. Yet, as it progressed, some sort of “evil” possessed Hamish and filled him with alarmingly misogynistic ideas that may have tainted my love for him permanently. It seemed a strange move for a 2018 novel. Other than this glitch, the rest of the book maintained its cozy mystery standards and was an easy, relaxing read.

The Perfect Mother

Aimee Molloy’s The Perfect Mother is a fast, easy, and entertaining read. A mother’s group in Brooklyn is rocked when one of the babies is kidnapped. The kidnapping reveals that not all the members of the group are what they appear to be. As a mother, I could relate to many of the group members’ feelings, but more than anything I was engrossed by the story and finding out what actually happened to baby Midas. Molloy does a good job of concealing, yet revealing, the truth, leaving me feeling intrigued and only slightly manipulated. Definitely a fun summer read.