What I read on my summer vacation

Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman.
This is the latest in the Tess Monaghan series. A television series is shooting in Baltimore, and Tess is hired to babysit the troublesome female star and deal with vandalism on the set.

Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett.
After her divorce, Tricia Miles buys a mystery bookstore in a small New England town. When the woman who owns the shop next to her is murders and Tricia is the prime suspect, she determines to find the real culprit and clear her own name.


Pointe and Shoot by Natalie M. Roberts.
In the third of the Jenny Partridge dance school mysteries, Jenny is still beset by problems. Her apartment is fire-bombed, and one of her dancers is attacked at a competition. Jenny is worried about the future of her business, but with the help of her boyfriend, detective Tate Wilson and her other friends, she manages to track down her tormentor.


The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo.
Eugenie Pierce, the town librarian, has a history of redeeming problem kids. But when she "sentences" a 13-year-old caugh tearing pages out of books to attend meetings of her knitting/book group, the other members of the group are disbelieving, and even uncooperative. I bought this book because of the title. It's charming and sweet, but rather predictable.

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey.
The first in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms , a wonderful twist on the Cinderella story, is one of the prolific Lackey's winners.


The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein.
Anna Strong, a bounty hunter who is nothing like Stephanie Plum, is unwillingly turned into a vampire by a one of her pick-ups, and has a little trouble getting used to the idea. The doctor attractive who treats her after her "accident", also a vamp, volunteers to help her become accustomed to her new "lifestyle" while she attempts to track down the rogue who turned her. Anna is a strong female protagonist, and I'm looking foward to the next books in the series.

Index to Murder by Jo Dereske.
Helma Zukas is finally back! Ruth is starting to get over being dumped by her long-term boyfriend when some of her paintings are stolen. She coerces Helma to help her find the thief, with the unlikely assistance of Helma's mother and aunt. There's quite a cliffhanger at the end: Helma's personal life may change drastically!