High society, a Paris setting and murder take center stage in Frances McNamara’s Death at the Paris Exposition, the sixth book in her Emily Cabot Mystery series. Taking place during the Paris Exposition of 1900, Ms. McNamara’s book is filled with colorful descriptions of haute couture at the turn of the 20th century, the historical and beautiful sights of Paris and a well-developed central character. If you like historical mysteries and reading about high fashion, this is a book you will most certainly enjoy.
Ms. McNamara does a good job introducing her primary character, Emily Cabot, and the story’s setting right from the start. We learn about how Emily, and her family, have become a part of the American contingent to the Paris Exposition and how Emily hopes to use the opportunity for both work and a family learning experience. Ms. McNamara does an excellent job describing the high fashion of the time, along with the behavior of her patron during this trip, Mrs. Palmer, the wife of a very wealthy and powerful Chicago businessman. Mrs. Palmer is the only American “commissioner” at the Exposition and was determined to hire Emily to act as her “secretary” for both her social and “formal” engagements during their stay in Paris. A good portion of the book is devoted to the descriptions of the gowns and sights seen from the time they arrive to when they depart to the U.S.
I liked Emily’s character almost right from the start but have to admit that it did take show more me a while to connect with her. I believe this is partly because this is the first book I’ve read in this series and Emily’s character, and those of her husband and children, were already well established and also because the story’s pace was somewhat slow. As I became more accustomed to Ms. McNamara’s voice as an author, and the pace, I did enjoy how the story developed. The secondary characters were colorful and very interesting, though Mrs. Palmer and another secondary character, trying to find a titled suiter for her daughter, both got on my nerves.
There are actually two mysteries which Emily finds herself drawn into solving as the Exposition takes place; a series of jewel thefts and a murder which takes place during one of the fashion exhibits. While the French police are involved, and we are introduced to an interesting inspector, Emily is pushed into the investigations when Mrs. Palmer’s son becomes a person of interest in both investigations. While I was suspicious of one of the characters, who turned out to be involved, right from the start, I was surprised at the end when both mysteries are solved. As I stated earlier, I did think the story’s pace was a little slow, perhaps a bit too much emphasis was placed on the fashion part of the story and not enough on the mystery aspect, but I did enjoy Ms. McNamara’s voice and her descriptions were very detailed. You could tell she had done quite a bit of research and she did an excellent job discussing all of the couture houses in existence at the time.
Will Emily discover who is stealing the priceless jewels at the exhibition before the thief strikes again? And why did a milner get killed at one of the high fashion exhibits? Are the two cases tied together? You’ll have to read Death at the Paris Exhibition to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. show less
Ms. McNamara does a good job introducing her primary character, Emily Cabot, and the story’s setting right from the start. We learn about how Emily, and her family, have become a part of the American contingent to the Paris Exposition and how Emily hopes to use the opportunity for both work and a family learning experience. Ms. McNamara does an excellent job describing the high fashion of the time, along with the behavior of her patron during this trip, Mrs. Palmer, the wife of a very wealthy and powerful Chicago businessman. Mrs. Palmer is the only American “commissioner” at the Exposition and was determined to hire Emily to act as her “secretary” for both her social and “formal” engagements during their stay in Paris. A good portion of the book is devoted to the descriptions of the gowns and sights seen from the time they arrive to when they depart to the U.S.
I liked Emily’s character almost right from the start but have to admit that it did take show more me a while to connect with her. I believe this is partly because this is the first book I’ve read in this series and Emily’s character, and those of her husband and children, were already well established and also because the story’s pace was somewhat slow. As I became more accustomed to Ms. McNamara’s voice as an author, and the pace, I did enjoy how the story developed. The secondary characters were colorful and very interesting, though Mrs. Palmer and another secondary character, trying to find a titled suiter for her daughter, both got on my nerves.
There are actually two mysteries which Emily finds herself drawn into solving as the Exposition takes place; a series of jewel thefts and a murder which takes place during one of the fashion exhibits. While the French police are involved, and we are introduced to an interesting inspector, Emily is pushed into the investigations when Mrs. Palmer’s son becomes a person of interest in both investigations. While I was suspicious of one of the characters, who turned out to be involved, right from the start, I was surprised at the end when both mysteries are solved. As I stated earlier, I did think the story’s pace was a little slow, perhaps a bit too much emphasis was placed on the fashion part of the story and not enough on the mystery aspect, but I did enjoy Ms. McNamara’s voice and her descriptions were very detailed. You could tell she had done quite a bit of research and she did an excellent job discussing all of the couture houses in existence at the time.
Will Emily discover who is stealing the priceless jewels at the exhibition before the thief strikes again? And why did a milner get killed at one of the high fashion exhibits? Are the two cases tied together? You’ll have to read Death at the Paris Exhibition to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. show less
A gifted storyteller M.J. Rose takes us back to Paris during World War I in The Secret Language of Stones, the second book in The Daughters of La Lune series. Melding historical fiction, romance, and paranormal/occult gifts, Ms. Rose has created a world with multi-faceted characters, intriguing mysteries and an almost fantasy like romance. Although this book can be read on its own, to really enjoy the book I personally recommend reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows first.
Ms. Rose does a wonderful job introducing the primary character, Opaline Duplessi, right from the start. An apprentice jeweler, Opaline has inherited a rare gift from her mother, a form of lithomancy/necromancy. Able to receive messages from the precious stones she works with, Opaline uses her talents to pass on messages from the dead to their loved ones, and she’s got plenty to work with living in Paris during World War I. I really liked Opaline’s character right from the start, she’s determined not to make the same mistakes with the gifts she’s inherited from her mother, Sandrine (the main character in The Witch of Painted Sorrows) and works to make sure her gift doesn’t drag her into the darkness.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Monsieur Orloff, the master jeweler Opaline goes to work for, his wife Anna and their son Grigori. Russian ex-patriots living in Paris, they secretly work to gather funds, and whatever else they can, to free the show more Russian Royal Family from the Bolsheviks and restore the Russian monarchy so they can go home. I enjoyed the occasional glimpses we got of Sandrine, Opaline’s mother, and her continued attempts to get Opaline to embrace and build on her gifts from La Lune.
Using the darkness of World War I, and the political, social and emotional upheaval it caused, Ms. Rose makes you feel as if you are in Paris through one if it’s most difficult periods. Air raids, food shortages, severely wounded soldiers, and the fear of the unknown, all become a part of daily life. Still, this is Paris and Ms. Rose reminds us of its beauty and charm, a beauty and charm that no war can fully destroy. The story’s pace is fairly even, though there are some points that were a little slow, and Ms. Rose’s voice as an author is well established and highly enjoyable.
The romantic aspect of the story is different and interesting because Opaline has several relationships throughout the book. And not all of them are with flesh and blood characters – and that’s all I’ll say about that because I don’t want to give away too much. I will say that the story has a really great ending and that the epilogue really brought things together.
Will Opaline learn to embrace all of her gift or will she only dabble with the “magick” she has inherited from her family? Will she become an accidental victim of the political machinations of her friends and mentor? And will she find the love she’s looking for? You’ll have to read The Secret Language of Stones to find out. I really enjoyed this installment in the La Lune series and hope we get to read about both Opaline and Sandrine’s future. show less
Ms. Rose does a wonderful job introducing the primary character, Opaline Duplessi, right from the start. An apprentice jeweler, Opaline has inherited a rare gift from her mother, a form of lithomancy/necromancy. Able to receive messages from the precious stones she works with, Opaline uses her talents to pass on messages from the dead to their loved ones, and she’s got plenty to work with living in Paris during World War I. I really liked Opaline’s character right from the start, she’s determined not to make the same mistakes with the gifts she’s inherited from her mother, Sandrine (the main character in The Witch of Painted Sorrows) and works to make sure her gift doesn’t drag her into the darkness.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Monsieur Orloff, the master jeweler Opaline goes to work for, his wife Anna and their son Grigori. Russian ex-patriots living in Paris, they secretly work to gather funds, and whatever else they can, to free the show more Russian Royal Family from the Bolsheviks and restore the Russian monarchy so they can go home. I enjoyed the occasional glimpses we got of Sandrine, Opaline’s mother, and her continued attempts to get Opaline to embrace and build on her gifts from La Lune.
Using the darkness of World War I, and the political, social and emotional upheaval it caused, Ms. Rose makes you feel as if you are in Paris through one if it’s most difficult periods. Air raids, food shortages, severely wounded soldiers, and the fear of the unknown, all become a part of daily life. Still, this is Paris and Ms. Rose reminds us of its beauty and charm, a beauty and charm that no war can fully destroy. The story’s pace is fairly even, though there are some points that were a little slow, and Ms. Rose’s voice as an author is well established and highly enjoyable.
The romantic aspect of the story is different and interesting because Opaline has several relationships throughout the book. And not all of them are with flesh and blood characters – and that’s all I’ll say about that because I don’t want to give away too much. I will say that the story has a really great ending and that the epilogue really brought things together.
Will Opaline learn to embrace all of her gift or will she only dabble with the “magick” she has inherited from her family? Will she become an accidental victim of the political machinations of her friends and mentor? And will she find the love she’s looking for? You’ll have to read The Secret Language of Stones to find out. I really enjoyed this installment in the La Lune series and hope we get to read about both Opaline and Sandrine’s future. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
An Anglophile since childhood, I jumped at the chance to read and review Snow in July by Kim Iverson Headlee because of the historical period and setting. Set in the 11th Century, during the battle of Hastings, Ms. Headlee’s story is filled with knights, ladies, battle scenes, magic, and political upheaval. If you’re a fan of Medieval history and romance, then this is a story you will no doubt enjoy.
Beginning with the Battle of Hastings between Duke William II of Normandy and Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, Ms. Headlee introduces us to her primary character, Sir Robert “Alain”de Bellencombre, a Norman knight who has sworn to fight for Duke William and at the same time protect his younger brother. I liked “Alain” right from the start; he’s noble, honorable and is a man of his word. He’s the kind of guy you would want as a friend guarding your back. Born a second son, “Alain” hopes to be rewarded for his service to his king, but didn’t count on the king rewarding him via a marriage contract to a Saxon lady. No political dummy, William knows to keep the peace that the Normans and Saxons will need to intermarry and he’ll kill two birds with one stone by marrying his knights to wealthy, titled Saxon ladies whose inheritance will stabilize his kingdom.
We are soon introduced to the second main character, Lady Kendra of show more Edgarburh, the Saxon lady promised to “Alain” as a reward. The only living child of her father, her husband will inherit all of her father’s lands upon his death. I also liked Kendra from the beginning; beautiful, honorable and a gifted healer, she’s also suffering from a terrible loss – her only brother was killed on his way home from the battle of Hastings (he had fought for King Harold) and she fears being married to a Norman would be a betrayal to her brother. Especially since she and her father believe her brother was killed by one of “enemy”.
While neither character is eager for marriage, they are bound by a king’s order and a father’s promise and determination to keep his people safe. Ms. Headlee does a good job with the historical setting and with maintaining the tension between the characters as they are placed in difficult situations. Keeping their promises Alain and Kendra find themselves facing thieves, kidnappers, treachery and even sorcery, while attempting to fight their growing attraction to each other.
Ms. Headlee also does a good job developing the secondary characters and I especially liked meeting Ruaud, Alain’s closest friend, who made me laugh, and Waldron, Kendra’s father, who really cared about his daughter and the people he oversaw. The villains of the story were also well developed and fairly colorful – both in language and mode of dress. The mystery of who is behind all of the trouble was well written and the story takes several unexpected twists and turns, although I knew the identity of the villain in charge almost right from the start.
Will Alain be able to rescue Kendra when she is kidnapped? Will Alain and Kendra allow their growing attraction to turn into love? Will Alain and Kendra be able to help heal a nation made up of two different peoples? You’ll have to read Snow in July to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Headlee’s work. show less
An Anglophile since childhood, I jumped at the chance to read and review Snow in July by Kim Iverson Headlee because of the historical period and setting. Set in the 11th Century, during the battle of Hastings, Ms. Headlee’s story is filled with knights, ladies, battle scenes, magic, and political upheaval. If you’re a fan of Medieval history and romance, then this is a story you will no doubt enjoy.
Beginning with the Battle of Hastings between Duke William II of Normandy and Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, Ms. Headlee introduces us to her primary character, Sir Robert “Alain”de Bellencombre, a Norman knight who has sworn to fight for Duke William and at the same time protect his younger brother. I liked “Alain” right from the start; he’s noble, honorable and is a man of his word. He’s the kind of guy you would want as a friend guarding your back. Born a second son, “Alain” hopes to be rewarded for his service to his king, but didn’t count on the king rewarding him via a marriage contract to a Saxon lady. No political dummy, William knows to keep the peace that the Normans and Saxons will need to intermarry and he’ll kill two birds with one stone by marrying his knights to wealthy, titled Saxon ladies whose inheritance will stabilize his kingdom.
We are soon introduced to the second main character, Lady Kendra of show more Edgarburh, the Saxon lady promised to “Alain” as a reward. The only living child of her father, her husband will inherit all of her father’s lands upon his death. I also liked Kendra from the beginning; beautiful, honorable and a gifted healer, she’s also suffering from a terrible loss – her only brother was killed on his way home from the battle of Hastings (he had fought for King Harold) and she fears being married to a Norman would be a betrayal to her brother. Especially since she and her father believe her brother was killed by one of “enemy”.
While neither character is eager for marriage, they are bound by a king’s order and a father’s promise and determination to keep his people safe. Ms. Headlee does a good job with the historical setting and with maintaining the tension between the characters as they are placed in difficult situations. Keeping their promises Alain and Kendra find themselves facing thieves, kidnappers, treachery and even sorcery, while attempting to fight their growing attraction to each other.
Ms. Headlee also does a good job developing the secondary characters and I especially liked meeting Ruaud, Alain’s closest friend, who made me laugh, and Waldron, Kendra’s father, who really cared about his daughter and the people he oversaw. The villains of the story were also well developed and fairly colorful – both in language and mode of dress. The mystery of who is behind all of the trouble was well written and the story takes several unexpected twists and turns, although I knew the identity of the villain in charge almost right from the start.
Will Alain be able to rescue Kendra when she is kidnapped? Will Alain and Kendra allow their growing attraction to turn into love? Will Alain and Kendra be able to help heal a nation made up of two different peoples? You’ll have to read Snow in July to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Headlee’s work. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. I rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
A “fixer upper” that’s really falling down, potential clients killed at the scene and a rookie real-estate agent take center stage in Sarah T. Hobart’s, Death at a Fixer Upper, the first book in the Home Sweet Home mystery series. Filled with lively dialogue, colorful characters and a light touch of romance, Ms. Hobart’s story grabbed my attention from the first page and made me laugh. If you like cozy mysteries with a female sleuth, this is a book you’re going to want to pick up.
Ms. Hobart does a great job introducing her primary character, Samantha “Sam” Turner, a single mom turned real-estate agent, living in Arlinda, a somewhat unusual seaside town in Northern California. Trying to drum up interest in a new listing, a large Victorian estate desperately in need of repair, Sam finds things looking up when three potential clients insist on checking out the property. Hoping for a quick and easy sale, she soon finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. I really liked Sam’s character; she’s funny, snarky, and seems like a great mom. I liked how she faced unexpected challenges, being evicted over a cat, dealing with her ex-husband, who suddenly re-appeared after 13 years, and an offer of romance from her sister’s ex, all while trying to figure out who is killing her clients.
The secondary characters were show more well developed and contributed a lot to the story. I loved Max, Sam’s teenaged son, laughed at the craziness of her hometown and fell in love with the Victorian “fixer upper” that needed way too much work. While I don’t necessarily believe in “haunted houses”, I do believe that each and every house and property has a character all of its own and I really liked the “character” of the house at 13 Aster Lane. I also liked getting the historical background about the owners and their current “tenant”, who Sam connected with emotionally.
The mystery is well written and takes several twists and turns. I really could not figure out who the killer was and I actually enjoyed that aspect, sometimes I find the killer’s identity too easy to identify and that takes all of the fun out of the story. The potential romance was interesting and there was just enough heat to make it interesting. The story is fairly quickly paced and I found Ms. Hobart’s author’s voice enjoyable.
Will Sam find out who’s killing off her potential clients? Will she find a client who lives long enough to sign a contract for the “fixer upper” she’s falling in love with? And who will she choose to let into her heart? You’ll have to read Death at a Fixer Upper to find out, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading about Sam’s next adventure. show less
A “fixer upper” that’s really falling down, potential clients killed at the scene and a rookie real-estate agent take center stage in Sarah T. Hobart’s, Death at a Fixer Upper, the first book in the Home Sweet Home mystery series. Filled with lively dialogue, colorful characters and a light touch of romance, Ms. Hobart’s story grabbed my attention from the first page and made me laugh. If you like cozy mysteries with a female sleuth, this is a book you’re going to want to pick up.
Ms. Hobart does a great job introducing her primary character, Samantha “Sam” Turner, a single mom turned real-estate agent, living in Arlinda, a somewhat unusual seaside town in Northern California. Trying to drum up interest in a new listing, a large Victorian estate desperately in need of repair, Sam finds things looking up when three potential clients insist on checking out the property. Hoping for a quick and easy sale, she soon finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. I really liked Sam’s character; she’s funny, snarky, and seems like a great mom. I liked how she faced unexpected challenges, being evicted over a cat, dealing with her ex-husband, who suddenly re-appeared after 13 years, and an offer of romance from her sister’s ex, all while trying to figure out who is killing her clients.
The secondary characters were show more well developed and contributed a lot to the story. I loved Max, Sam’s teenaged son, laughed at the craziness of her hometown and fell in love with the Victorian “fixer upper” that needed way too much work. While I don’t necessarily believe in “haunted houses”, I do believe that each and every house and property has a character all of its own and I really liked the “character” of the house at 13 Aster Lane. I also liked getting the historical background about the owners and their current “tenant”, who Sam connected with emotionally.
The mystery is well written and takes several twists and turns. I really could not figure out who the killer was and I actually enjoyed that aspect, sometimes I find the killer’s identity too easy to identify and that takes all of the fun out of the story. The potential romance was interesting and there was just enough heat to make it interesting. The story is fairly quickly paced and I found Ms. Hobart’s author’s voice enjoyable.
Will Sam find out who’s killing off her potential clients? Will she find a client who lives long enough to sign a contract for the “fixer upper” she’s falling in love with? And who will she choose to let into her heart? You’ll have to read Death at a Fixer Upper to find out, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading about Sam’s next adventure. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
A young adult thriller with paranormal elements, Lauren Sabel’s Lies I Live By combines psychic abilities, a teenage love triangle, astral projection and a light touch of humor. Raising the question of who we are and who we can really trust, Ms. Sabel reminds us that becoming an adult is not always an easy, or painless, journey. If you like young adult books and spy novels – you’re going to want to add this to your library.
A seventeen year old on the verge of graduating from high school, Callie Sinclair is not your normal teenager, she has a pretty big secret. The newest, and youngest, recruit for a secret government program, Callie has psychic abilities which allow her to see electromagnetic radiation and catch the occasional glimpse of the future. Lying to her single mother and boyfriend, Callie spends her afternoons practicing astral projection as she tries to keep the country safe from potential enemies. I really liked Callie’s character; she’s smart, brave and hates having to lie to everyone she knows. She’s also a teenager who questions who she is, what she wants to become and if she can really trust the people she knows. Ms. Sabel does a good job developing her character and I enjoyed watching Callie grow and mature throughout the story.
The secondary characters are well developed and I really enjoyed show more getting to know her mom, her “boss” and recruiter, Indigo, at the government agency, her boyfriend Charlie, who wants them both to go to the same college on the East Coast, and Jasper, a government psychic brought in from New York to work with Callie. Ms. Sabel used all of the secondary characters to give Callie’s character more depth, introduce a romantic element into the story and add emotional angst. They also introduced a light touch of humor and fun into Callie’s life.
The thriller portion of the story is well developed and I enjoyed reading about how Callie used her abilities to “spy” on dangerous enemies. Especially with the type of talent she had. The story’s pace is a little uneven – the story starts out very slowly, but I enjoyed Ms. Sabel’s voice as an author. Overall I thought Ms. Sabel did a good job balancing all of the elements in her story.
Will Callie continue working for the government after she graduates high school? Or will she choose to go to college on the East Coast? And will she have to make a choice between Charlie and Jasper? You’ll have to read Lies I Live By to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Sabel’s work. show less
A young adult thriller with paranormal elements, Lauren Sabel’s Lies I Live By combines psychic abilities, a teenage love triangle, astral projection and a light touch of humor. Raising the question of who we are and who we can really trust, Ms. Sabel reminds us that becoming an adult is not always an easy, or painless, journey. If you like young adult books and spy novels – you’re going to want to add this to your library.
A seventeen year old on the verge of graduating from high school, Callie Sinclair is not your normal teenager, she has a pretty big secret. The newest, and youngest, recruit for a secret government program, Callie has psychic abilities which allow her to see electromagnetic radiation and catch the occasional glimpse of the future. Lying to her single mother and boyfriend, Callie spends her afternoons practicing astral projection as she tries to keep the country safe from potential enemies. I really liked Callie’s character; she’s smart, brave and hates having to lie to everyone she knows. She’s also a teenager who questions who she is, what she wants to become and if she can really trust the people she knows. Ms. Sabel does a good job developing her character and I enjoyed watching Callie grow and mature throughout the story.
The secondary characters are well developed and I really enjoyed show more getting to know her mom, her “boss” and recruiter, Indigo, at the government agency, her boyfriend Charlie, who wants them both to go to the same college on the East Coast, and Jasper, a government psychic brought in from New York to work with Callie. Ms. Sabel used all of the secondary characters to give Callie’s character more depth, introduce a romantic element into the story and add emotional angst. They also introduced a light touch of humor and fun into Callie’s life.
The thriller portion of the story is well developed and I enjoyed reading about how Callie used her abilities to “spy” on dangerous enemies. Especially with the type of talent she had. The story’s pace is a little uneven – the story starts out very slowly, but I enjoyed Ms. Sabel’s voice as an author. Overall I thought Ms. Sabel did a good job balancing all of the elements in her story.
Will Callie continue working for the government after she graduates high school? Or will she choose to go to college on the East Coast? And will she have to make a choice between Charlie and Jasper? You’ll have to read Lies I Live By to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Sabel’s work. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
Dear Ms. Leeson …..you had me at cozy mystery including delicious Southern recipes. For those who know me, it’s no secret that I am both a bibliophile and a foodie, there is nothing I love more than sitting down with my kindle and gnoshing on a snack or meal, so when given the opportunity to read The Calamity Café, it was a no brainer. The first book in a new cozy mystery series is full of colorful characters, delicious food, a solid mystery and a light touch of romance. If you like cozy mysteries, especially those set in a small town in the South, then this is the book for you.
Ms. Leeson does a great job introducing her primary character, Amy Flowers, a young woman trained to be a chef, who had come home to Winter Garden, Virginia to take care of her nana (grandmother) and has been waitressing at a local diner called Lou’s Joint. Owned by Lou-Lou, a bully, who smokes while she cooks, Lou’s joint is just the kind of restaurant that needs new ownership and when she inherits a sizable amount of money from her grandmother, Amy tries to buy it. Only Lou-Lou refuses to sell, at least until her son, talks her into it. When Amy arrives at the restaurant later that night to go over the sale and terms, she discovers Lou-Lou’s dead body and finds herself on the suspect list. I really liked Amy; she’s smart, funny and a show more generally nice person. I enjoyed watching her character develop and watching her develop her detective skills.
The secondary characters are also colorful and well developed. I enjoyed getting to know Jackie, her cousin and best friend, who also works as a waitress at Lou’s Joint and Sarah, another close friend who works for the towns only attorney. We meet Roger, her oldest male friend, who also happens to be the contractor Amy hires to redesign and refurbish Lou’s joint after she purchases it from Lou-Lou’s only son Phil and renames it The Down South Cafe The list of possible suspects is more than a handful, apparently Lou-Lou never met a person she couldn’t offend, and it was fun watching Amy go through the list. The local sheriff’s office is investigating the case but the deputy, Ryan, doesn’t seem to mind letting Amy gather clues, which she then turns over to him. I found that a very interesting dynamic and different from most cozies where the police are pretty stringent about people staying out of their way.
Ms. Leeson’s voice as an author is clear, easy to follow and enjoyable, something you would expect from an established writer. The story’s pace is good and there are plenty of twists and turns, especially when it comes to the multiple suspects and Lou-Lou’s family’s past, which keeps things interesting. There was no real graphic violence, though there is a bit of suspense near the end. Overall this is a very well written cozy and a great beginning for a new series.
Will Amy discover who killed Lou-Lou and why? Will Amy’s remodel and renaming of Lou’s Joint work out? And will the developing romances between Jackie and Roger, and Amy and Deputy Ryan work out in the future? You’ll have to read The Calamity Café to find out, I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next installment. show less
Dear Ms. Leeson …..you had me at cozy mystery including delicious Southern recipes. For those who know me, it’s no secret that I am both a bibliophile and a foodie, there is nothing I love more than sitting down with my kindle and gnoshing on a snack or meal, so when given the opportunity to read The Calamity Café, it was a no brainer. The first book in a new cozy mystery series is full of colorful characters, delicious food, a solid mystery and a light touch of romance. If you like cozy mysteries, especially those set in a small town in the South, then this is the book for you.
Ms. Leeson does a great job introducing her primary character, Amy Flowers, a young woman trained to be a chef, who had come home to Winter Garden, Virginia to take care of her nana (grandmother) and has been waitressing at a local diner called Lou’s Joint. Owned by Lou-Lou, a bully, who smokes while she cooks, Lou’s joint is just the kind of restaurant that needs new ownership and when she inherits a sizable amount of money from her grandmother, Amy tries to buy it. Only Lou-Lou refuses to sell, at least until her son, talks her into it. When Amy arrives at the restaurant later that night to go over the sale and terms, she discovers Lou-Lou’s dead body and finds herself on the suspect list. I really liked Amy; she’s smart, funny and a show more generally nice person. I enjoyed watching her character develop and watching her develop her detective skills.
The secondary characters are also colorful and well developed. I enjoyed getting to know Jackie, her cousin and best friend, who also works as a waitress at Lou’s Joint and Sarah, another close friend who works for the towns only attorney. We meet Roger, her oldest male friend, who also happens to be the contractor Amy hires to redesign and refurbish Lou’s joint after she purchases it from Lou-Lou’s only son Phil and renames it The Down South Cafe The list of possible suspects is more than a handful, apparently Lou-Lou never met a person she couldn’t offend, and it was fun watching Amy go through the list. The local sheriff’s office is investigating the case but the deputy, Ryan, doesn’t seem to mind letting Amy gather clues, which she then turns over to him. I found that a very interesting dynamic and different from most cozies where the police are pretty stringent about people staying out of their way.
Ms. Leeson’s voice as an author is clear, easy to follow and enjoyable, something you would expect from an established writer. The story’s pace is good and there are plenty of twists and turns, especially when it comes to the multiple suspects and Lou-Lou’s family’s past, which keeps things interesting. There was no real graphic violence, though there is a bit of suspense near the end. Overall this is a very well written cozy and a great beginning for a new series.
Will Amy discover who killed Lou-Lou and why? Will Amy’s remodel and renaming of Lou’s Joint work out? And will the developing romances between Jackie and Roger, and Amy and Deputy Ryan work out in the future? You’ll have to read The Calamity Café to find out, I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next installment. show less
Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot: A WWII tale of chicks and chicanery, suspicion and spies (Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries) by Elaine Faber
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
A fan of both cozy mysteries and historical fiction, I jumped at the chance to read and review Mrs. Odboddy: Hometown Patriot, the first book in Elaine Faber’s Mrs. Odboddy Mystery series. Set in a small town on the Southern California coast, Mrs. Odboddy is a book filled with traditional American themes, a couple of intriguing mysteries, and the reminder that everyone, regardless of one’s age, needs to be willing to make whatever sacrifice is needed by your country. If you like cozy mysteries or historical fiction, this is a book you will enjoy.
Ms. Faber does a good job introducing and developing Agnes Odboddy, the seventy year old heroine of her story, right from the start. A woman who has sacrificed both a husband and son in her country’s defense during WW1, Agnes knows more about the cost of freedom than most people. Having served as a spy during WW1 herself, Agnes is determined to do what she can to help the war effort now that WW2 has begun. I liked Agnes character, and liked the fact that the heroine of the story is older, though I did worry about some of the risks Agnes took at her age.
The secondary characters were well developed and I especially liked Katherine, Agnes’ adult granddaughter, Chief Waddlemucker, though he did think Agnes was crying “wolf” and tended to ignore her reports, and I even liked most of the members show more of her knitting group, though one of them was not to be trusted. There are actually two mysteries within the story, one having to do with stolen ration books and the other with stolen money, and even one Nazi spy. The story’s pace is fairly even, though things definitely sped up as the story got closer to the end.
I enjoyed Ms. Faber’s voice as a writer and while there were a couple of issues; I couldn’t tell if Agnes just needed a better hearing aid or if she was beginning to suffer from a too vivid imagination. Overall, I think Ms. Faber did a good job with this cross genre story and enjoyed it overall. I will be curious to see how Ms. Faber continues to develop Agnes, and her granddaughter Katherine, as the series continues.
Are Agnes suspicions about a possible Nazi spy correct? And what about her suspicions regarding ration books and the black market? And just how does Eleanor Roosevelt figure into Agnes life? You’ll have to read Mrs. Odboddy: Hometown Patriot to find out. show less
A fan of both cozy mysteries and historical fiction, I jumped at the chance to read and review Mrs. Odboddy: Hometown Patriot, the first book in Elaine Faber’s Mrs. Odboddy Mystery series. Set in a small town on the Southern California coast, Mrs. Odboddy is a book filled with traditional American themes, a couple of intriguing mysteries, and the reminder that everyone, regardless of one’s age, needs to be willing to make whatever sacrifice is needed by your country. If you like cozy mysteries or historical fiction, this is a book you will enjoy.
Ms. Faber does a good job introducing and developing Agnes Odboddy, the seventy year old heroine of her story, right from the start. A woman who has sacrificed both a husband and son in her country’s defense during WW1, Agnes knows more about the cost of freedom than most people. Having served as a spy during WW1 herself, Agnes is determined to do what she can to help the war effort now that WW2 has begun. I liked Agnes character, and liked the fact that the heroine of the story is older, though I did worry about some of the risks Agnes took at her age.
The secondary characters were well developed and I especially liked Katherine, Agnes’ adult granddaughter, Chief Waddlemucker, though he did think Agnes was crying “wolf” and tended to ignore her reports, and I even liked most of the members show more of her knitting group, though one of them was not to be trusted. There are actually two mysteries within the story, one having to do with stolen ration books and the other with stolen money, and even one Nazi spy. The story’s pace is fairly even, though things definitely sped up as the story got closer to the end.
I enjoyed Ms. Faber’s voice as a writer and while there were a couple of issues; I couldn’t tell if Agnes just needed a better hearing aid or if she was beginning to suffer from a too vivid imagination. Overall, I think Ms. Faber did a good job with this cross genre story and enjoyed it overall. I will be curious to see how Ms. Faber continues to develop Agnes, and her granddaughter Katherine, as the series continues.
Are Agnes suspicions about a possible Nazi spy correct? And what about her suspicions regarding ration books and the black market? And just how does Eleanor Roosevelt figure into Agnes life? You’ll have to read Mrs. Odboddy: Hometown Patriot to find out. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 Stars.
An oak tree, a dead neighbor and a small town full of secrets take center stage in Susan Breen’s new cozy mystery, Maggie Dove. Set in a small Westchester County community, where residents can look down the Hudson River to where the Twin Towers stood, this cozy is full of colorful characters, an elderly heroine and plenty of emotional angst. If you’re looking for a new cozy to read, you’ll want to give Maggie Dove a try.
Ms. Breen did a good job introducing Maggie Dove, the sixtyish central character of the story, right from the start. A mystery writer who “retired” when both her husband and only child, a daughter, passed away within 12 months of each other, Maggie has lived in the same house and town almost her whole life. When a new neighbor, from out of town, requests she cut down the oak tree in her yard so he can have a better view of the river, Maggie emphatically says no. While Maggie is mostly a nice person and very agreeable, she has an emotional attachment to that tree and nothing is going to get her to cut it down. Not even when that neighbor winds up dead under that tree. As Maggie tries to figure out what happened to her neighbor, and why he was on her lawn, she discovers that not everything is quite as it seems in her small town and finds herself drawn into a murder investigation.
The secondary characters are also show more well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Peter, the young man who Maggie always thought would end up being her son in law, and her best friend Winifred, who has problems of her own and almost always challenges Maggie's viewpoints. The people in her small town provide a lot of color, secrets and potential suspects. Turns out there were plenty of people who wanted her neighbor gone or dead.
The mystery is well written and takes several twists and turns. Just when I thought I might know the identity of the killer, Ms. Breen threw in a twist to make me change my mind. The story’s pace is fairly even, though the story does begin very slowly, and I enjoyed Ms. Breen’s voice as an author. My only complaint was that I thought Maggie seemed to “wallow” in her grieving process, which was way too long, it was perhaps just a bit too much emotional angst in my opinion.
Will Maggie discover who really killed her neighbor and why? Will she be able to save Peter from his self-destructive behavior? And just how many people will the killer manage to kill before Maggie discover their identity? You’ll have to read Maggie Dove to find out. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series, Maggie Dove’s Detective Agency, which will be released later this fall. show less
An oak tree, a dead neighbor and a small town full of secrets take center stage in Susan Breen’s new cozy mystery, Maggie Dove. Set in a small Westchester County community, where residents can look down the Hudson River to where the Twin Towers stood, this cozy is full of colorful characters, an elderly heroine and plenty of emotional angst. If you’re looking for a new cozy to read, you’ll want to give Maggie Dove a try.
Ms. Breen did a good job introducing Maggie Dove, the sixtyish central character of the story, right from the start. A mystery writer who “retired” when both her husband and only child, a daughter, passed away within 12 months of each other, Maggie has lived in the same house and town almost her whole life. When a new neighbor, from out of town, requests she cut down the oak tree in her yard so he can have a better view of the river, Maggie emphatically says no. While Maggie is mostly a nice person and very agreeable, she has an emotional attachment to that tree and nothing is going to get her to cut it down. Not even when that neighbor winds up dead under that tree. As Maggie tries to figure out what happened to her neighbor, and why he was on her lawn, she discovers that not everything is quite as it seems in her small town and finds herself drawn into a murder investigation.
The secondary characters are also show more well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Peter, the young man who Maggie always thought would end up being her son in law, and her best friend Winifred, who has problems of her own and almost always challenges Maggie's viewpoints. The people in her small town provide a lot of color, secrets and potential suspects. Turns out there were plenty of people who wanted her neighbor gone or dead.
The mystery is well written and takes several twists and turns. Just when I thought I might know the identity of the killer, Ms. Breen threw in a twist to make me change my mind. The story’s pace is fairly even, though the story does begin very slowly, and I enjoyed Ms. Breen’s voice as an author. My only complaint was that I thought Maggie seemed to “wallow” in her grieving process, which was way too long, it was perhaps just a bit too much emotional angst in my opinion.
Will Maggie discover who really killed her neighbor and why? Will she be able to save Peter from his self-destructive behavior? And just how many people will the killer manage to kill before Maggie discover their identity? You’ll have to read Maggie Dove to find out. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series, Maggie Dove’s Detective Agency, which will be released later this fall. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
A mystery “ Qwickie”, Deadly Season by Alison Bruce is a light hearted, fun and the perfect lunchtime snack for any mystery lover. While the story is short, the characters are well developed and the mystery takes several twists and turns. Adding in a light touch of humor, after all this is a mystery involving pets, and a light touch of romance, Ms. Bruce kept me entertained from start to finish. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
I enjoyed getting to meet Kate Garrett and Jake Carmody, reluctant business partners after the death of Kate’s dad. You could tell right from the start that there was some kind of history between them and there was plenty of tension to make you wonder when they would acknowledge how they really felt about each other. Kate is the kind of female investigator you want on your side and Jake is also quite good. I think as the series develops that their individual strengths will only improve their business – of course they both have to survive whoever is killing the pets and whoever had been after Kate’s dad.
The mystery is solid and as I said earlier takes several twist and turns. The story’s pace is fairly quick and I found myself turning the pages to discover what was going to happen next. The secondary characters were also well developed and helped to add color and depth to the story. All in all, I show more really enjoyed reading the story and wished it had been longer.
Will Kate discover who is killing the pets and why? Will Jake finally confess how he feels about Kate before it’s too late? You’ll have to read Deadly Season to find out. I can’t wait to read the next installment. show less
A mystery “ Qwickie”, Deadly Season by Alison Bruce is a light hearted, fun and the perfect lunchtime snack for any mystery lover. While the story is short, the characters are well developed and the mystery takes several twists and turns. Adding in a light touch of humor, after all this is a mystery involving pets, and a light touch of romance, Ms. Bruce kept me entertained from start to finish. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
I enjoyed getting to meet Kate Garrett and Jake Carmody, reluctant business partners after the death of Kate’s dad. You could tell right from the start that there was some kind of history between them and there was plenty of tension to make you wonder when they would acknowledge how they really felt about each other. Kate is the kind of female investigator you want on your side and Jake is also quite good. I think as the series develops that their individual strengths will only improve their business – of course they both have to survive whoever is killing the pets and whoever had been after Kate’s dad.
The mystery is solid and as I said earlier takes several twist and turns. The story’s pace is fairly quick and I found myself turning the pages to discover what was going to happen next. The secondary characters were also well developed and helped to add color and depth to the story. All in all, I show more really enjoyed reading the story and wished it had been longer.
Will Kate discover who is killing the pets and why? Will Jake finally confess how he feels about Kate before it’s too late? You’ll have to read Deadly Season to find out. I can’t wait to read the next installment. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.
.A mix between romantic suspense and literary fiction, Wild Within by Christine Hartmann is an enjoyable story dealing with grief, recovery, family relationships, romantic love, fear and danger. Colorful characters, emotional angst, good dialogue and just a light touch of romance, kept me turning the pages to discover what would happen next. If you’re looking for a good read to start your summer reading, you’ll want to give this story a try.
Ms. Hartmann does a good job developing the main character, Grace Mori, right from the start. Her backstory is told via flashbacks as Grace sets out on a 2600 mile hike across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in honor of her brother’s life. A hike she is wildly unprepared for. I found Grace to be a likeable character and enjoyed her running commentary as she walks across a desert like terrain.
Mentally and emotionally strong, Grace took care of everyone but herself after her brother’s accidental death. This hike is both her tribute to his life and a chance for her to deal with her grief. While she’s mentally prepared for her journey, she’s not physically prepared to deal with drought like conditions and finds herself depending and learning from more experienced hikers. I liked the fact that she was determined to continue the hike regardless of what she faced and that she was willing to learn from complete strangers.
The secondary show more characters were interesting, mostly well developed and contributed a lot to the story. Ms. Hartmann also does a good job describing the PCT, which becomes a character in the story on its own. While I’m not a hiker by nature, I did enjoy reading about the trail and it did make me think about taking some longer and perhaps more challenging walks in the area where I live. The villain of the story is introduced fairly quickly and it was interesting to get their backstory too.
The romance is very low key, and Grace falls for “Lonestar” almost instantaneously, which is something I would have preferred to have been further developed. The story’s pace is quick and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reading guessing as to what Grace will discover next. Ms. Hartmann’s author’s voice is easy to follow and I enjoyed the story’s tone.
Will Grace make it all of the way through her long hike? Will she be able to keep out of harm’s way when a killer joins the hike? And will her romance with Lonestar be a “trail thing” or the “real deal”? You’ll have to read Wild Within to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in this series. show less
.A mix between romantic suspense and literary fiction, Wild Within by Christine Hartmann is an enjoyable story dealing with grief, recovery, family relationships, romantic love, fear and danger. Colorful characters, emotional angst, good dialogue and just a light touch of romance, kept me turning the pages to discover what would happen next. If you’re looking for a good read to start your summer reading, you’ll want to give this story a try.
Ms. Hartmann does a good job developing the main character, Grace Mori, right from the start. Her backstory is told via flashbacks as Grace sets out on a 2600 mile hike across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in honor of her brother’s life. A hike she is wildly unprepared for. I found Grace to be a likeable character and enjoyed her running commentary as she walks across a desert like terrain.
Mentally and emotionally strong, Grace took care of everyone but herself after her brother’s accidental death. This hike is both her tribute to his life and a chance for her to deal with her grief. While she’s mentally prepared for her journey, she’s not physically prepared to deal with drought like conditions and finds herself depending and learning from more experienced hikers. I liked the fact that she was determined to continue the hike regardless of what she faced and that she was willing to learn from complete strangers.
The secondary show more characters were interesting, mostly well developed and contributed a lot to the story. Ms. Hartmann also does a good job describing the PCT, which becomes a character in the story on its own. While I’m not a hiker by nature, I did enjoy reading about the trail and it did make me think about taking some longer and perhaps more challenging walks in the area where I live. The villain of the story is introduced fairly quickly and it was interesting to get their backstory too.
The romance is very low key, and Grace falls for “Lonestar” almost instantaneously, which is something I would have preferred to have been further developed. The story’s pace is quick and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reading guessing as to what Grace will discover next. Ms. Hartmann’s author’s voice is easy to follow and I enjoyed the story’s tone.
Will Grace make it all of the way through her long hike? Will she be able to keep out of harm’s way when a killer joins the hike? And will her romance with Lonestar be a “trail thing” or the “real deal”? You’ll have to read Wild Within to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 5 out of 5 Stars and a Recommended Read.
A fan of unique or “different” paranormal books, I was thrilled to get a chance to read and review Blackbird Summer by Em Shotwell. A fun look at life, love and family in the Deep South, Blackbird Summer is both the first book in a new series, and the author’s debut release. A strong, quirky and utterly charming leading character, colorful secondary characters, family drama and the different “gifts” held by the different characters kept me glued to the story from start to finish. If you like paranormal books, books dealing with families or anything set in the South…..then this is the book for you!
Ms. Shotwell does a wonderful job developing her primary character, Tallulah “Tully” Caibre right from the start. A young member of a “Gifted” family, Tully has spent her whole life being “different” and knowing her family’s unique talents have made them “outcasts” living on the edge of town. Home schooled by her mother and working at the family market stand have kept Tully out of trouble but frustrated by her perspective future – she wants to be able to leave town, go to college and choose her own husband – something that she’s pretty sure her family will not allow. After all, she’s spent all of her growing up years being told what’s expected from her and for her – an arranged marriage to show more someone from a “gifted” family, having her own kids and staying within her family’s community. I really connected with Tully’ character and rooted for her to be able to live her own life but at the same time find a way to work within what both she and her family need because of their unique abilities.
The secondary characters are all well developed and they all contributed something to the story. I really liked Tully’s younger sister, Delia, who is a bit of a wild child and whose “gift” would make any salesman or stockbroker extremely happy. I also liked her cousin Jack, who is almost as colorful as Delia (they have similar gifts) and absolutely fell in love with Logan, the love interest in the story. I especially liked how Logan supported Tully from the first minute he met her and how he rooted for her family and saw the townspeople for the hypocrites they were. While the townspeople aren’t necessarily evil, they are hypocritical in that they consider Tully’s family possibly “evil” or just different enough to keep them “separate” but are at the same time willing to buy their produce, ask for “help” with the weather, and what other gifts the family has.
I found Ms. Shotwell’s voice as a writer refreshing, engaging and easy to read. The story’s pace is a little slow at the start, however, because the story is set in the South, I found it fitting for the location and story development. As the story progresses, the pace does pick up and the story moves at a very good pace as it reaches the finale. There’s plenty of angst, quirky drama and real family emotion, which definitely kept me turning the pages. There’s also the added mystery that some of the characters turn out to have some hidden secrets and depth, which was unexpected but great for the story.
Will Tully take a chance on falling in love with Logan, even if her family won’t approve? Will she tell her parents she wants to make her own choices about her future? And will the people of Brooklyn, Mississippi learn to embrace Tully’s family and their differences? You’ll have to read Blackbird Summer to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. show less
A fan of unique or “different” paranormal books, I was thrilled to get a chance to read and review Blackbird Summer by Em Shotwell. A fun look at life, love and family in the Deep South, Blackbird Summer is both the first book in a new series, and the author’s debut release. A strong, quirky and utterly charming leading character, colorful secondary characters, family drama and the different “gifts” held by the different characters kept me glued to the story from start to finish. If you like paranormal books, books dealing with families or anything set in the South…..then this is the book for you!
Ms. Shotwell does a wonderful job developing her primary character, Tallulah “Tully” Caibre right from the start. A young member of a “Gifted” family, Tully has spent her whole life being “different” and knowing her family’s unique talents have made them “outcasts” living on the edge of town. Home schooled by her mother and working at the family market stand have kept Tully out of trouble but frustrated by her perspective future – she wants to be able to leave town, go to college and choose her own husband – something that she’s pretty sure her family will not allow. After all, she’s spent all of her growing up years being told what’s expected from her and for her – an arranged marriage to show more someone from a “gifted” family, having her own kids and staying within her family’s community. I really connected with Tully’ character and rooted for her to be able to live her own life but at the same time find a way to work within what both she and her family need because of their unique abilities.
The secondary characters are all well developed and they all contributed something to the story. I really liked Tully’s younger sister, Delia, who is a bit of a wild child and whose “gift” would make any salesman or stockbroker extremely happy. I also liked her cousin Jack, who is almost as colorful as Delia (they have similar gifts) and absolutely fell in love with Logan, the love interest in the story. I especially liked how Logan supported Tully from the first minute he met her and how he rooted for her family and saw the townspeople for the hypocrites they were. While the townspeople aren’t necessarily evil, they are hypocritical in that they consider Tully’s family possibly “evil” or just different enough to keep them “separate” but are at the same time willing to buy their produce, ask for “help” with the weather, and what other gifts the family has.
I found Ms. Shotwell’s voice as a writer refreshing, engaging and easy to read. The story’s pace is a little slow at the start, however, because the story is set in the South, I found it fitting for the location and story development. As the story progresses, the pace does pick up and the story moves at a very good pace as it reaches the finale. There’s plenty of angst, quirky drama and real family emotion, which definitely kept me turning the pages. There’s also the added mystery that some of the characters turn out to have some hidden secrets and depth, which was unexpected but great for the story.
Will Tully take a chance on falling in love with Logan, even if her family won’t approve? Will she tell her parents she wants to make her own choices about her future? And will the people of Brooklyn, Mississippi learn to embrace Tully’s family and their differences? You’ll have to read Blackbird Summer to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. show less
A lover of good food and sweet wine, I was more than happy to get a chance to read and review Late Harvest Havoc, the tenth (10th) book in The Winemaker Detective series by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen. Set in Alsace, the northeastern French region of the Rhine River, wine experts and amateur detectives Benjamin Cooker and his assistant Virgile find themselves embroiled in solving another murder and dealing with suspicious wine growers all while traveling back and forth between Germany and France. Filled with the history of the region, colorful descriptions of the region’s food and local people, Late Harvest Havoc is a fine addition to an already established series.
Deciding to introduce his assistant/apprentice to the Northeast countryside of France and its regional wines, Benjamin Cooker and Virgile Lanssien head to the Alsace region in Benjamin’s vintage Mercedes with plans to eat, drink and conduct more research for the “Cooker” guidebook. They didn’t plan one of the local guides dropping dead during a historical chapel tour or on becoming suspects in a local police investigation of “vine vandalism”. A suspicion Benjamin doesn’t take well, especially since his beloved car is also vandalized.
Already a fan of this series, I could not wait to see what Mr. Alaux and Mr. Balen had in store for Benjamin and Virgile in this installment and I was not disappointed. As this series continues to progress, Benjamin and Virgile become more like a father and show more son; they understand each other’s mood swings and truly care for one another. Their dialogue is witty, occasionally sarcastic and they have a lot of fun traveling the countryside tasting wine. Especially since it is often accompanied by great food. While they can’t seem to help getting involved in solving murders, murder literally seems to follow them around, they enjoy the challenge solving a crime gives them and Benjamin is becoming quite proud of how much better they are at it than some of the local police.
The authors do a wonderful job educating the reader about the Alsace region while solving a mystery. A region steeped in both French and German history, Alsace is clearly filled with natural beauty, great wines and good food. I personally have always wanted to visit this region of France because of how it has gone back and forth between France and Germany since the end of the Roman Empire. The two mysteries (the murder and the vandalism) are well written and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and guessing. I especially enjoyed reading the back and forth between Benjamin and Virgile when they were both tired and a little stressed out.
Will Benjamin and Virgile discover who is behind the “vine vandalism” in the region? Will Benjamin’s beloved car suffer as a result of Benjamin’s investigation? And will they discover who killed the chapel tour guide and why she had to die? You’ll have to read Late Harvest Havoc to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in this series. show less
Deciding to introduce his assistant/apprentice to the Northeast countryside of France and its regional wines, Benjamin Cooker and Virgile Lanssien head to the Alsace region in Benjamin’s vintage Mercedes with plans to eat, drink and conduct more research for the “Cooker” guidebook. They didn’t plan one of the local guides dropping dead during a historical chapel tour or on becoming suspects in a local police investigation of “vine vandalism”. A suspicion Benjamin doesn’t take well, especially since his beloved car is also vandalized.
Already a fan of this series, I could not wait to see what Mr. Alaux and Mr. Balen had in store for Benjamin and Virgile in this installment and I was not disappointed. As this series continues to progress, Benjamin and Virgile become more like a father and show more son; they understand each other’s mood swings and truly care for one another. Their dialogue is witty, occasionally sarcastic and they have a lot of fun traveling the countryside tasting wine. Especially since it is often accompanied by great food. While they can’t seem to help getting involved in solving murders, murder literally seems to follow them around, they enjoy the challenge solving a crime gives them and Benjamin is becoming quite proud of how much better they are at it than some of the local police.
The authors do a wonderful job educating the reader about the Alsace region while solving a mystery. A region steeped in both French and German history, Alsace is clearly filled with natural beauty, great wines and good food. I personally have always wanted to visit this region of France because of how it has gone back and forth between France and Germany since the end of the Roman Empire. The two mysteries (the murder and the vandalism) are well written and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and guessing. I especially enjoyed reading the back and forth between Benjamin and Virgile when they were both tired and a little stressed out.
Will Benjamin and Virgile discover who is behind the “vine vandalism” in the region? Will Benjamin’s beloved car suffer as a result of Benjamin’s investigation? And will they discover who killed the chapel tour guide and why she had to die? You’ll have to read Late Harvest Havoc to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 3 out of 5 stars.
I’ve been reading a lot of cozy mystery and urban fantasy lately so I really looked forward to diving into Current by Abby McCarthy. Both the cover and the description of the book grabbed my attention, I’m a sucker for second chance romance and the cover made me think of romance and the beach. While I ended up somewhat disappointed overall, I think Ms. McCarthy is an author to watch.
The prologue, mostly captured above in the “excerpt”, pretty much sets up what will become a part of the mystery. June and Jake are young lovers, very young in June’s part, who have to deal with Jake’s alcoholic dad and the abuse Jake is subjected to on an almost daily basis. Then something catastrophic happens and Jake disappears. The story then jumps ahead six or so years and we meet June as a college student in a bar preparing to listen to a “local band”, who she will write an article about for the local paper. The night becomes magical when she meets “Lucas”, the band’s keyboard player, who reminds her of Jake. He even calls her “Juniper” – just like Jake used to.
Ms. McCarthy does an okay job introducing the characters as young teenagers and I was looking forward to seeing how they had matured and changed. I wanted to see if June would figure out why “Lucas” reminded her so much of Jake and if she would decide that whether he was show more or wasn’t “Jake”, it didn’t matter because she was falling in love with the man in front of her rather than clinging to the past. Unfortunately, neither June or Luke are very mature and they proceed to fall into bed, and continue to fall into bed on practically every other page. In fact that is probably my biggest disappointment with the story, there is very little character development and even less development when it comes to the romance between them. The sex is often, graphic, and even unprotected at first.
I wish I could say the secondary characters were better developed, but alas they were not. June’s best friend and “roomie”, Liz, sleeps around a lot and June even takes pictures of Liz’s potential dates drivers license, in case something happens to her while she’s out with them. The band members are used for background color but other than Dietz, the lead singer, we really don’t see them in the story much. I really wish the bands backstory had been better developed and flushed out – why did Lucas join the band and what were they trying to accomplish – did they want to get good enough for a record deal or were they happy just being a “garage band”?
Will June discover if Lucas and Jake are the same person? Why did Jake leave town and will it come back and haunt them? Will June and Lucas or Jake have a future together? You’ll have to read Current to find out. While the story wasn’t for me, I do think that Ms. McCarthy’s writing style will get better with time and experience. I did like her “voice” and will definitely try another of her books in the future. show less
I’ve been reading a lot of cozy mystery and urban fantasy lately so I really looked forward to diving into Current by Abby McCarthy. Both the cover and the description of the book grabbed my attention, I’m a sucker for second chance romance and the cover made me think of romance and the beach. While I ended up somewhat disappointed overall, I think Ms. McCarthy is an author to watch.
The prologue, mostly captured above in the “excerpt”, pretty much sets up what will become a part of the mystery. June and Jake are young lovers, very young in June’s part, who have to deal with Jake’s alcoholic dad and the abuse Jake is subjected to on an almost daily basis. Then something catastrophic happens and Jake disappears. The story then jumps ahead six or so years and we meet June as a college student in a bar preparing to listen to a “local band”, who she will write an article about for the local paper. The night becomes magical when she meets “Lucas”, the band’s keyboard player, who reminds her of Jake. He even calls her “Juniper” – just like Jake used to.
Ms. McCarthy does an okay job introducing the characters as young teenagers and I was looking forward to seeing how they had matured and changed. I wanted to see if June would figure out why “Lucas” reminded her so much of Jake and if she would decide that whether he was show more or wasn’t “Jake”, it didn’t matter because she was falling in love with the man in front of her rather than clinging to the past. Unfortunately, neither June or Luke are very mature and they proceed to fall into bed, and continue to fall into bed on practically every other page. In fact that is probably my biggest disappointment with the story, there is very little character development and even less development when it comes to the romance between them. The sex is often, graphic, and even unprotected at first.
I wish I could say the secondary characters were better developed, but alas they were not. June’s best friend and “roomie”, Liz, sleeps around a lot and June even takes pictures of Liz’s potential dates drivers license, in case something happens to her while she’s out with them. The band members are used for background color but other than Dietz, the lead singer, we really don’t see them in the story much. I really wish the bands backstory had been better developed and flushed out – why did Lucas join the band and what were they trying to accomplish – did they want to get good enough for a record deal or were they happy just being a “garage band”?
Will June discover if Lucas and Jake are the same person? Why did Jake leave town and will it come back and haunt them? Will June and Lucas or Jake have a future together? You’ll have to read Current to find out. While the story wasn’t for me, I do think that Ms. McCarthy’s writing style will get better with time and experience. I did like her “voice” and will definitely try another of her books in the future. show less
A young sheltered half-Jewish woman traveling overseas for the first time, and an Arab- American engineer talked into spying on a European terrorist cell by his cousin take center stage in Normandie Fischer’s Two From Isaac’s House. Part literary romantic suspense and part coming of age story, Ms. Fischer’s story grabbed my attention from the first page. Likeable characters, good dialogue, an intriguing mystery and just the right amount of tension, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. If you like exotic locations, good food, and romantic suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss.
Ms. Fischer does a great job introducing us to her primary characters, Rina Lynne Roberts and Anton “Tony” Rasad, two people from different parts of the world who have more in common than they know. I liked both characters from the start and enjoyed getting to watch them get to know each other and themselves. I especially liked how Rina began to question everything she’d known about her family, her “fiancée”, and even herself, as she spends time on a trip paid for by her deceased father’s secret stash of money. Having been raised thinking they were almost poor, Rina is determined to have an adventure before she settles down and marries Jason, the only man she’s ever dated. A man she’s not sure she really knows. I also enjoyed watching her attraction to Tony develop and watching their relationship grow.
I enjoyed getting to know Tony, an engineer show more who is talked into playing the part of a “spy” by his cousin in Israeli intelligence. Using his “half-Arab” background, Tony travels to Italy to take a language class and infiltrate a student group suspected of recruiting terrorists. I especially liked how Ms. Fisher tells the story from both Rina and Tony’s viewpoints by telling their stories in alternating chapters, I liked how she deals with Tony’s conflicting emotions; his fear of being caught, his compassion towards the young men in the group who had been fed false Anti-Israeli propaganda, his desire to help a friend stay out of trouble, and his hope that the students wouldn’t do anything to worsen the situation in the Middle East.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially enjoyed getting to know Acie, another American woman in Italy, who becomes Rina’s best friend. Meeting by chance in a cafe, they quickly become close and Acie encourages Rina to have fun and become self- confident. The villains of the story are well developed and are easily identifiable. Even if their motives are not as easy to follow. There are more than enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and there’s plenty of action and danger to keep you turning the page.
Will Rina’s journey turn into more than just a vacation with a few good memories? Will she and Tony’s attraction and growing romance chance the course of both of their lives? You’ll have to read Two From Isaac’s House to find out, I enjoyed it and hope we get to see Rina and Tony again in of Ms. Fischer’s books. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. show less
Ms. Fischer does a great job introducing us to her primary characters, Rina Lynne Roberts and Anton “Tony” Rasad, two people from different parts of the world who have more in common than they know. I liked both characters from the start and enjoyed getting to watch them get to know each other and themselves. I especially liked how Rina began to question everything she’d known about her family, her “fiancée”, and even herself, as she spends time on a trip paid for by her deceased father’s secret stash of money. Having been raised thinking they were almost poor, Rina is determined to have an adventure before she settles down and marries Jason, the only man she’s ever dated. A man she’s not sure she really knows. I also enjoyed watching her attraction to Tony develop and watching their relationship grow.
I enjoyed getting to know Tony, an engineer show more who is talked into playing the part of a “spy” by his cousin in Israeli intelligence. Using his “half-Arab” background, Tony travels to Italy to take a language class and infiltrate a student group suspected of recruiting terrorists. I especially liked how Ms. Fisher tells the story from both Rina and Tony’s viewpoints by telling their stories in alternating chapters, I liked how she deals with Tony’s conflicting emotions; his fear of being caught, his compassion towards the young men in the group who had been fed false Anti-Israeli propaganda, his desire to help a friend stay out of trouble, and his hope that the students wouldn’t do anything to worsen the situation in the Middle East.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially enjoyed getting to know Acie, another American woman in Italy, who becomes Rina’s best friend. Meeting by chance in a cafe, they quickly become close and Acie encourages Rina to have fun and become self- confident. The villains of the story are well developed and are easily identifiable. Even if their motives are not as easy to follow. There are more than enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and there’s plenty of action and danger to keep you turning the page.
Will Rina’s journey turn into more than just a vacation with a few good memories? Will she and Tony’s attraction and growing romance chance the course of both of their lives? You’ll have to read Two From Isaac’s House to find out, I enjoyed it and hope we get to see Rina and Tony again in of Ms. Fischer’s books. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be my last. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 5 out of 5 stars and gave it a recommended read.
What makes a family? Does a family only exist when there are parents and children? Or is family something we each have to define for ourselves? You might think those are strange questions to begin a book review but they’re just some of the questions I asked and answered for myself while reading The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy. A beautifully written literary novel, Ms. McCoy’s tale is told by two very different women who were born generations apart. Alternating her characters voices by chapter, Ms. McCoy deals with some very heavy topics; slavery, freedom, human rights, infertility, marriage and family. If you like books that alternate between the past and the present, deal with important and often difficult issues, and make you laugh and then cry, this is a book you’ll want to put at the top of your reading list.
Ms. McCoy begins her story by introducing us to a house in New Charlestown, Virginia. A house purchased by a father and son, who plan to “flip” it and make a profit, however as things often happen when family members attempt to do business together feelings get hurt, insults are hurled and the house sat empty for a couple more years. Ms. McCoy then introduces us to the two main characters who will tell us their stories – Sarah Brown, daughter of the famous abolitionist John Brown, and show more the mapmaker of the book’s title, and Eden Norton, a modern day woman dealing with infertility and a marriage that’s falling apart. While separated by time and circumstance, Eden’s life will forever be changed by what she learns about Sarah. I easily connected with Sarah’s character and found her to be intelligent, brave and determined. I had a harder time connecting to Eden, she was difficult to like at first, but she did grow on me and I eventually found myself equally invested in both women’s story.
The secondary characters; Sarah’s family, friends and her “children”, along with Eden’s husband Jack Anderson, her neighbor’s granddaughter Cleo and their neighbors in New Charlestown, were all well developed and contributed a lot to both stories. Ms. McCoy did a good job blending the historical background and events that could have taken place in Sarah’s life and also did a good job with the current timeline. One of my favorite characters of course is “Cricket”, the dog Jack brings home after another attempt at IVF(Invitro) has failed, who brings everyone in the current timeline together.
Will Eden discover that there’s more to “family” than blood relations? Will she give Jack, and their marriage another chance? Will Eden and Cleo’s investigation into the history of a doll they discover in the house help them uncover Sarah’s history and what happened to “her children”? You’ll have to read The Mapmaker’s Children to find out, I loved it and can’t wait to read another of Ms. McCoy’s books. show less
What makes a family? Does a family only exist when there are parents and children? Or is family something we each have to define for ourselves? You might think those are strange questions to begin a book review but they’re just some of the questions I asked and answered for myself while reading The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy. A beautifully written literary novel, Ms. McCoy’s tale is told by two very different women who were born generations apart. Alternating her characters voices by chapter, Ms. McCoy deals with some very heavy topics; slavery, freedom, human rights, infertility, marriage and family. If you like books that alternate between the past and the present, deal with important and often difficult issues, and make you laugh and then cry, this is a book you’ll want to put at the top of your reading list.
Ms. McCoy begins her story by introducing us to a house in New Charlestown, Virginia. A house purchased by a father and son, who plan to “flip” it and make a profit, however as things often happen when family members attempt to do business together feelings get hurt, insults are hurled and the house sat empty for a couple more years. Ms. McCoy then introduces us to the two main characters who will tell us their stories – Sarah Brown, daughter of the famous abolitionist John Brown, and show more the mapmaker of the book’s title, and Eden Norton, a modern day woman dealing with infertility and a marriage that’s falling apart. While separated by time and circumstance, Eden’s life will forever be changed by what she learns about Sarah. I easily connected with Sarah’s character and found her to be intelligent, brave and determined. I had a harder time connecting to Eden, she was difficult to like at first, but she did grow on me and I eventually found myself equally invested in both women’s story.
The secondary characters; Sarah’s family, friends and her “children”, along with Eden’s husband Jack Anderson, her neighbor’s granddaughter Cleo and their neighbors in New Charlestown, were all well developed and contributed a lot to both stories. Ms. McCoy did a good job blending the historical background and events that could have taken place in Sarah’s life and also did a good job with the current timeline. One of my favorite characters of course is “Cricket”, the dog Jack brings home after another attempt at IVF(Invitro) has failed, who brings everyone in the current timeline together.
Will Eden discover that there’s more to “family” than blood relations? Will she give Jack, and their marriage another chance? Will Eden and Cleo’s investigation into the history of a doll they discover in the house help them uncover Sarah’s history and what happened to “her children”? You’ll have to read The Mapmaker’s Children to find out, I loved it and can’t wait to read another of Ms. McCoy’s books. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
A possible family reunion, a hit and run accident and an unexpected attack and a hunt for missing treasure take center stage in Jo Hiestand’s Un Unfolding Trap, the fifth book in the McLaren Mystery series. A well-developed hero, colorful secondary characters and a good mystery kept me turning the pages from start to finish. While a part of a series, this is a book which can be enjoyed on its own.
While I personally prefer to books in a mystery series in order, I was able to read and enjoy An Unfolding Trap on its own. Ms. Hiestand’s primary character, former police detective turned private investigator, Michael McLaren, is well developed and fit my idea of what a British cop turned P.I. would be like; intelligent, suspicious, and tenacious. Traveling from England to Edinburgh to reunite with his estranged grandfather, Michael discovers nothing is what it seems. His grandfather insists he never invited him and has no interest in establishing a relationship. As Michael tries to figure out who wanted him in Edinburgh and why – he finds himself getting drawn into a mystery that involves the “underground city” and a hunt for treasure. He just needs to manage to stay ahead of a killer and solve the mystery first.
The mystery is well written, takes several twists and turns and is well paced. The secondary characters were interesting and show more colorful. Michael’s grandfather is cranky, very stubborn and I could just see him dressed in his traditional Scottish garb. The descriptions of Edinburgh made me feel as if I was there walking alongside Michael as he gets to know the city and plays the part of “tourist”.
Will Michael discover who wanted him in Edinburgh and why they wanted him there? Will he solve the mystery of the missing treasure? Will he manage to stay one step ahead of the killer? You’ll have to read An Unfolding Trap to find out. I enjoyed it and plan to read more of the books in this series. show less
A possible family reunion, a hit and run accident and an unexpected attack and a hunt for missing treasure take center stage in Jo Hiestand’s Un Unfolding Trap, the fifth book in the McLaren Mystery series. A well-developed hero, colorful secondary characters and a good mystery kept me turning the pages from start to finish. While a part of a series, this is a book which can be enjoyed on its own.
While I personally prefer to books in a mystery series in order, I was able to read and enjoy An Unfolding Trap on its own. Ms. Hiestand’s primary character, former police detective turned private investigator, Michael McLaren, is well developed and fit my idea of what a British cop turned P.I. would be like; intelligent, suspicious, and tenacious. Traveling from England to Edinburgh to reunite with his estranged grandfather, Michael discovers nothing is what it seems. His grandfather insists he never invited him and has no interest in establishing a relationship. As Michael tries to figure out who wanted him in Edinburgh and why – he finds himself getting drawn into a mystery that involves the “underground city” and a hunt for treasure. He just needs to manage to stay ahead of a killer and solve the mystery first.
The mystery is well written, takes several twists and turns and is well paced. The secondary characters were interesting and show more colorful. Michael’s grandfather is cranky, very stubborn and I could just see him dressed in his traditional Scottish garb. The descriptions of Edinburgh made me feel as if I was there walking alongside Michael as he gets to know the city and plays the part of “tourist”.
Will Michael discover who wanted him in Edinburgh and why they wanted him there? Will he solve the mystery of the missing treasure? Will he manage to stay one step ahead of the killer? You’ll have to read An Unfolding Trap to find out. I enjoyed it and plan to read more of the books in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.
Edgier than a traditional cozy mystery, Clea Simon’s The Ninth Life, is the first book in a new series featuring an untraditional hero: a cat. Yes, you read that right, the main character in this story is a cat named “Blackie”. A black furred cat rescued from drowning by a pink haired girl named “Care” (aka Carrie Wright). Unlike the traditional “cat” characters usually found in cozies, Blackie is intelligent, thinks in English, independent, concerned about the safety of the girl who saved him and very savvy when it comes to solving a mystery. A homeless girl, “Care” is unusual too – quickly forming a friendship with Blackie, she’s determined to find out what happened to her “mentor” – a private investigator who had been recently killed. If you want to try a captivating and different kind of mystery, then this is the book for you.
Ms. Simon does an excellent job introducing us to both primary characters, Blackie and Care, right from the start. I easily connected with both of them and worried about their safety as they conducted their investigation on streets filled with some real low life criminals – especially the ones who were somehow connected to the last case Care’s mentor, The Old Man, was investigating. Hoping to solve his murder, and maybe take over his business, Care definitely needs Blackie’s “cat senses” and instincts to stay show more safe. I liked how Ms. Simon humanized Blackie and how he devoted he is about keeping Care safe. He definitely knows who to trust, and who not to trust, before she does, though he is hampered by his “feline” abilities when it comes to communication.
The secondary characters are mostly criminals or people Care and Blackie can’t trust. There is one character Blackie and Care don’t agree on; Tick, a young man who Care feels responsible for. Blackie questions his loyalty from the start and doesn’t trust him because of something he senses but is unable to “talk” to her about. I admired Care’s desire to help Tick, but like Blackie, I sensed his divided loyalties and worried about whether or not he would betray her.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about what will happen next and what Blackie and Care will discover. The action takes place in the streets, back alleys and less savory parts of town, putting both Blackie and Care in dangerous situations as they deal with drug dealers, thieves, and murderers. While Blackie is a cat, and Care is a young teen, Ms. Simon covers some very dark and mature issues as a part of the stories plot.
Will Blackie and Care discover who killed “The Old Man”? Will Blackie be able to help Care find a home off the streets? You’ll have to read The Ninth Life to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to see where Ms. Simon takes these characters next. show less
Edgier than a traditional cozy mystery, Clea Simon’s The Ninth Life, is the first book in a new series featuring an untraditional hero: a cat. Yes, you read that right, the main character in this story is a cat named “Blackie”. A black furred cat rescued from drowning by a pink haired girl named “Care” (aka Carrie Wright). Unlike the traditional “cat” characters usually found in cozies, Blackie is intelligent, thinks in English, independent, concerned about the safety of the girl who saved him and very savvy when it comes to solving a mystery. A homeless girl, “Care” is unusual too – quickly forming a friendship with Blackie, she’s determined to find out what happened to her “mentor” – a private investigator who had been recently killed. If you want to try a captivating and different kind of mystery, then this is the book for you.
Ms. Simon does an excellent job introducing us to both primary characters, Blackie and Care, right from the start. I easily connected with both of them and worried about their safety as they conducted their investigation on streets filled with some real low life criminals – especially the ones who were somehow connected to the last case Care’s mentor, The Old Man, was investigating. Hoping to solve his murder, and maybe take over his business, Care definitely needs Blackie’s “cat senses” and instincts to stay show more safe. I liked how Ms. Simon humanized Blackie and how he devoted he is about keeping Care safe. He definitely knows who to trust, and who not to trust, before she does, though he is hampered by his “feline” abilities when it comes to communication.
The secondary characters are mostly criminals or people Care and Blackie can’t trust. There is one character Blackie and Care don’t agree on; Tick, a young man who Care feels responsible for. Blackie questions his loyalty from the start and doesn’t trust him because of something he senses but is unable to “talk” to her about. I admired Care’s desire to help Tick, but like Blackie, I sensed his divided loyalties and worried about whether or not he would betray her.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about what will happen next and what Blackie and Care will discover. The action takes place in the streets, back alleys and less savory parts of town, putting both Blackie and Care in dangerous situations as they deal with drug dealers, thieves, and murderers. While Blackie is a cat, and Care is a young teen, Ms. Simon covers some very dark and mature issues as a part of the stories plot.
Will Blackie and Care discover who killed “The Old Man”? Will Blackie be able to help Care find a home off the streets? You’ll have to read The Ninth Life to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to see where Ms. Simon takes these characters next. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Just when you thought it was safe to drink the wine.......
The ninth entry in the Winemaker Detective series, Backstabbing in Beaujolais, by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen begins at an outdoor reception being hosted by a newly opened vineyard. A reception where the body of a dead woman is found floating in one of the wine vats. Continuing to develop the relationship between their characters, and further establishing their ability to solve crimes, the reader is taken along on their journey as they discover who committed the crime. Fans of this series will find this to be another riveting adventure for Benjamin and Virgile while new readers will no doubt enjoy getting their first taste.
Departing from their usual style, the authors begin this adventure with the discovery of the dead woman. A woman both wine expert Benjamin Cooker, and his apprentice Virgile Lanssien, know and have dealt with in the recent past. Using a “flashback” to tell the story, we learn about Benjamin and Virgile’s journey to the Beaujolais region in France to meet with Guillame Perithiard. A wealthy businessman who has decided to return to the area of his birth and start a second career as a wine producer. While Mr. Perithiard is used to getting his way, and is used to having the best that money can buy, he can only get Benjamin to inspect the vines and buildings of show more the vineyard he plans to purchase. Providing a report on the quality of the soil and plants is as far as Benjamin is willing to involve himself in the man’s newest endeavor.
Once again the authors treat the readers to the beauty of France by providing a glimpse into a different region, the wines produced in the area and the local cuisine. All explained in the guise of Benjamin’s lessons to Virgile, who continues to benefit from his teacher’s vast experience. Introducing a handful of new characters, it’s clear that Benjamin is not only an expert in food and wine but also in how to make friends and influence people’s choices. I wish I had the time and money to take a trip to the region where this story takes place just so I could sample the wines and eat all of the same foods myself.
The mystery is well developed and takes several twists and turns. While the dead woman is one of the characters we meet early in the story, she’s the real-estate agent who sold the vineyard to Mr. Perithiard, it takes a while to discover why someone would want to kill her and how she ended up in the vat. Especially since she’s quite beautiful and talented with dealing with people too. The story’s pace is good and the author’s writing style is well established and easy to follow.
Will Benjamin and Virgile be able to discover the identity of the killer? Will the new vineyard and the wine it produces be ruined as a result of the crime? You’ll have to read Backstabbing at Beaujolais to fine out. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read about Benjamin and Virgile’s next adventure. show less
Just when you thought it was safe to drink the wine.......
The ninth entry in the Winemaker Detective series, Backstabbing in Beaujolais, by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen begins at an outdoor reception being hosted by a newly opened vineyard. A reception where the body of a dead woman is found floating in one of the wine vats. Continuing to develop the relationship between their characters, and further establishing their ability to solve crimes, the reader is taken along on their journey as they discover who committed the crime. Fans of this series will find this to be another riveting adventure for Benjamin and Virgile while new readers will no doubt enjoy getting their first taste.
Departing from their usual style, the authors begin this adventure with the discovery of the dead woman. A woman both wine expert Benjamin Cooker, and his apprentice Virgile Lanssien, know and have dealt with in the recent past. Using a “flashback” to tell the story, we learn about Benjamin and Virgile’s journey to the Beaujolais region in France to meet with Guillame Perithiard. A wealthy businessman who has decided to return to the area of his birth and start a second career as a wine producer. While Mr. Perithiard is used to getting his way, and is used to having the best that money can buy, he can only get Benjamin to inspect the vines and buildings of show more the vineyard he plans to purchase. Providing a report on the quality of the soil and plants is as far as Benjamin is willing to involve himself in the man’s newest endeavor.
Once again the authors treat the readers to the beauty of France by providing a glimpse into a different region, the wines produced in the area and the local cuisine. All explained in the guise of Benjamin’s lessons to Virgile, who continues to benefit from his teacher’s vast experience. Introducing a handful of new characters, it’s clear that Benjamin is not only an expert in food and wine but also in how to make friends and influence people’s choices. I wish I had the time and money to take a trip to the region where this story takes place just so I could sample the wines and eat all of the same foods myself.
The mystery is well developed and takes several twists and turns. While the dead woman is one of the characters we meet early in the story, she’s the real-estate agent who sold the vineyard to Mr. Perithiard, it takes a while to discover why someone would want to kill her and how she ended up in the vat. Especially since she’s quite beautiful and talented with dealing with people too. The story’s pace is good and the author’s writing style is well established and easy to follow.
Will Benjamin and Virgile be able to discover the identity of the killer? Will the new vineyard and the wine it produces be ruined as a result of the crime? You’ll have to read Backstabbing at Beaujolais to fine out. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to read about Benjamin and Virgile’s next adventure. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review which in no way influenced my opinion of the reading material provided. I rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
A huge fan of suspense, mystery and thriller books, I was thrilled to get the chance to read and review The Girl in the River by Kate Rhodes. I was a little worried that I would have trouble connecting with the main character, Alice Quentin, since this is the fourth book in the series, but the author did an excellent job of developing both her story and Alice’s character and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to discover what Alice would discover next. If you like psychological thrillers, you will definitely want to pick up the Alice Quentin series.
A psychologist with a flair for solving crimes, Alice Quentin is both pleased and annoyed when she receives a request from the head of the Forensic Psychology Unit of the Metropolitan Police to review one of their closed cold cases. Especially when she discovers the victim, Jude Shelley is still alive and that her family specifically requested her case review. A rich and politically connected family. As Alice begins her investigation, she realizes her case could be connected to an open being investigated by a detective she knows. Will Alice be able to solve the crimes before the killer decides to claim another victim?
I easily connected with Alice and liked her approach to both the victim and the possible suspects as she show more reopened the case. She easily realized that the police had botched the original investigation because they were afraid of antagonizing the politically connected family and did not properly investigate their backgrounds and alibies. Although physically a small woman, Alice is very smart and she is tenacious. She lets nothing stand in her way of getting to the truth, no matter how painful it is for everyone involved, including her. I really liked that about her and I liked how she quickly recognized people’s psychological problems. Ms. Rhodes did an excellent job making Alice likable and realistic.
I also enjoyed watching Alice interact with the secondary characters, who were also well developed and each contributed something to the story. While the story is told from Alice’s point of view, Ms. Rhodes also lets us into the villain’s point of view, which was quite interesting. I definitely questioned what drove the killer and what was done to the victims.
Will Alice discover who attacked Jude and if it is somehow connected to Jude’s family’s politics? Will the detective working the open case be willing to work with her or get in her way? Will Alice ever manage to have a personal life while working for the police? You will have to read The Girl in the River to find out, I really enjoyed it and will be reading the previous books in preparation for Alice’s next case. show less
A huge fan of suspense, mystery and thriller books, I was thrilled to get the chance to read and review The Girl in the River by Kate Rhodes. I was a little worried that I would have trouble connecting with the main character, Alice Quentin, since this is the fourth book in the series, but the author did an excellent job of developing both her story and Alice’s character and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to discover what Alice would discover next. If you like psychological thrillers, you will definitely want to pick up the Alice Quentin series.
A psychologist with a flair for solving crimes, Alice Quentin is both pleased and annoyed when she receives a request from the head of the Forensic Psychology Unit of the Metropolitan Police to review one of their closed cold cases. Especially when she discovers the victim, Jude Shelley is still alive and that her family specifically requested her case review. A rich and politically connected family. As Alice begins her investigation, she realizes her case could be connected to an open being investigated by a detective she knows. Will Alice be able to solve the crimes before the killer decides to claim another victim?
I easily connected with Alice and liked her approach to both the victim and the possible suspects as she show more reopened the case. She easily realized that the police had botched the original investigation because they were afraid of antagonizing the politically connected family and did not properly investigate their backgrounds and alibies. Although physically a small woman, Alice is very smart and she is tenacious. She lets nothing stand in her way of getting to the truth, no matter how painful it is for everyone involved, including her. I really liked that about her and I liked how she quickly recognized people’s psychological problems. Ms. Rhodes did an excellent job making Alice likable and realistic.
I also enjoyed watching Alice interact with the secondary characters, who were also well developed and each contributed something to the story. While the story is told from Alice’s point of view, Ms. Rhodes also lets us into the villain’s point of view, which was quite interesting. I definitely questioned what drove the killer and what was done to the victims.
Will Alice discover who attacked Jude and if it is somehow connected to Jude’s family’s politics? Will the detective working the open case be willing to work with her or get in her way? Will Alice ever manage to have a personal life while working for the police? You will have to read The Girl in the River to find out, I really enjoyed it and will be reading the previous books in preparation for Alice’s next case. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.
A former seal turned cop, the leader of an outlaw biker gang, and a town caught in the middle all take center stage in Cindy McDonald’s Into the Crossfire, a suspense thriller and the first book in the First Force series. Well-developed characters, a vendetta and plenty of physical action grabbed my attention and never let go. If you’re a fan of shows like Son’s of Anarchy, this is a book you’ll want to pick up.
Ms. McDonald does a good job introducing her characters and their back stories right from the start. We meet Jack Haliday, a former Navy Seal turned cop, whose life is filled with work, his wife and small daughter. A physically strong man who believes in the law, Jack knows he’s been blessed in life and only has one fear, an undercover operation that went sideways four years ago and “Gunner”, the bike gang’s leader that got away. Knowing how crazy, and dangerous Gunner is, makes Jack worry about the future. I easily connected with Jack and liked him right from the start, though I thought it was somewhat naïve of him to stay in the same town where the undercover operation had gone so badly. I also enjoyed getting to meet his wife Laura, a sincerely nice woman, and their precious four year old daughter Lil, who was super cute.
Ms. McDonald does a good job shaking things up and bringing drama, danger, and plenty of action into the story when Jack’s show more past comes back to bite him and almost destroy his life. I enjoyed meeting the members of the First Force security firm, a firm run by his retired “former CIA” neighbor, and watching Jack and Lil both get taken in by the team, protected and then begin to put their lives back together. I also enjoyed watching Jack get back into action as he takes on the man who almost destroyed his life.
Will Jack and the First Force team take “Gunner” down and put an end to his gang and their illegal activities once and for all? Will Jack and Lil have a change at a happy future together? And will Jack’s heart be open to giving love a second chance? You’ll have to read Into the Crossfire to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in this series. show less
A former seal turned cop, the leader of an outlaw biker gang, and a town caught in the middle all take center stage in Cindy McDonald’s Into the Crossfire, a suspense thriller and the first book in the First Force series. Well-developed characters, a vendetta and plenty of physical action grabbed my attention and never let go. If you’re a fan of shows like Son’s of Anarchy, this is a book you’ll want to pick up.
Ms. McDonald does a good job introducing her characters and their back stories right from the start. We meet Jack Haliday, a former Navy Seal turned cop, whose life is filled with work, his wife and small daughter. A physically strong man who believes in the law, Jack knows he’s been blessed in life and only has one fear, an undercover operation that went sideways four years ago and “Gunner”, the bike gang’s leader that got away. Knowing how crazy, and dangerous Gunner is, makes Jack worry about the future. I easily connected with Jack and liked him right from the start, though I thought it was somewhat naïve of him to stay in the same town where the undercover operation had gone so badly. I also enjoyed getting to meet his wife Laura, a sincerely nice woman, and their precious four year old daughter Lil, who was super cute.
Ms. McDonald does a good job shaking things up and bringing drama, danger, and plenty of action into the story when Jack’s show more past comes back to bite him and almost destroy his life. I enjoyed meeting the members of the First Force security firm, a firm run by his retired “former CIA” neighbor, and watching Jack and Lil both get taken in by the team, protected and then begin to put their lives back together. I also enjoyed watching Jack get back into action as he takes on the man who almost destroyed his life.
Will Jack and the First Force team take “Gunner” down and put an end to his gang and their illegal activities once and for all? Will Jack and Lil have a change at a happy future together? And will Jack’s heart be open to giving love a second chance? You’ll have to read Into the Crossfire to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.
A fan of mystery books and thrillers, I jumped at the chance to read and review Blood Red by Wendi Corsi Staub, the first book in her Mundy’s Landing series. Using a small town setting, a series of gruesome murders that took place in the 1600’s and a recent set of killings, Ms. Staub takes us inside the mind of a killer and a woman keeping secrets. While not quite what I was hoping for, this is a book many mystery lovers would enjoy reading.
Introducing us to Rowan Mundy, the main character of the story, Ms. Staub quickly provides a quick sketch of “Mundy’s Landing”, the gruesome crimes that are a part of the town’s history, and the person whose plans will once again put this small town in the spotlight. While the mystery of who sent Rowan the “burnt” cookies, how it ties into her past and why she reacts the way she does is well done, I felt as if something was missing. I felt like the story jumped between Rowan’s viewpoint and the viewpoint of “Casey”, another primary character, too much.
While there are plenty of secondary characters, only a couple of them are interesting. I especially liked Mick, Rowan’s teenaged son and it was interesting to watch him and Rowan interact – especially since they both shared a medical condition. I also expected a touch of violence and blood but most of that action took place off the page. While I show more am not into a lot of blood and gore, perhaps a touch of it would have made the “serial killer” aspect of the book more realistic.
Will Rowan discover who is behind the threat to her safety before it is too late? Will she be able to keep her family out of danger? You will have to read Blood Red to find out. show less
A fan of mystery books and thrillers, I jumped at the chance to read and review Blood Red by Wendi Corsi Staub, the first book in her Mundy’s Landing series. Using a small town setting, a series of gruesome murders that took place in the 1600’s and a recent set of killings, Ms. Staub takes us inside the mind of a killer and a woman keeping secrets. While not quite what I was hoping for, this is a book many mystery lovers would enjoy reading.
Introducing us to Rowan Mundy, the main character of the story, Ms. Staub quickly provides a quick sketch of “Mundy’s Landing”, the gruesome crimes that are a part of the town’s history, and the person whose plans will once again put this small town in the spotlight. While the mystery of who sent Rowan the “burnt” cookies, how it ties into her past and why she reacts the way she does is well done, I felt as if something was missing. I felt like the story jumped between Rowan’s viewpoint and the viewpoint of “Casey”, another primary character, too much.
While there are plenty of secondary characters, only a couple of them are interesting. I especially liked Mick, Rowan’s teenaged son and it was interesting to watch him and Rowan interact – especially since they both shared a medical condition. I also expected a touch of violence and blood but most of that action took place off the page. While I show more am not into a lot of blood and gore, perhaps a touch of it would have made the “serial killer” aspect of the book more realistic.
Will Rowan discover who is behind the threat to her safety before it is too late? Will she be able to keep her family out of danger? You will have to read Blood Red to find out. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 3 out of 5 Stars.
Is there anything more beautiful than the French countryside? I certainly don’t think so based on Dominique Marny’s descriptions and cover for In the Shade of the Almond Trees. A book set during the period between the World Wars in Europe, In the Shade of the Almond Trees focuses on one family’s quest to restore their farm and move on after the death of their husband and father in the trenches. Filled with colorful characters, the beauty of the countryside, the changing social structures and a young woman’s discovery of love, this is a book romance lovers will enjoy.
Ms. Marny does a good job introducing the reader to the Barthelemy family as they begin moving on after the war. Living at Restanques, a large and once very prosperous estate, the family now consists of Martha, the family matriarch who thinks her life is over because of her husband’s death, Jeanne, the family’s only daughter, who is determined to keep their creditors at bay and make the farm successful again and Laurent, the family’s only son whose dreams of traveling the world are drawing him away.
While the story mostly focuses on Jeanne’s efforts to restore the farm and her transition into adulthood, we do get to know both her mother and brother and their strengths and weaknesses. I easily connected with Jeanne but had difficulty liking her mother and brother, who show more seemed only to think of themselves. Jeanne is hard working, level headed, and really devoted to her family’s heritage through her love of the land. She was willing to do what had to be done in order to keep her family financially afloat. Something her mother and brother either couldn’t or didn’t want to understand or really help with.
While it did take a little while to get used to Ms. Marny’s voice as an author, the story is told in omnipresent third person, I did eventually get drawn in and fell in love with both Jeanne and the French countryside. While I would have liked to dip further into Jeanne’s mind, and the thoughts of her mother and brother, this form of storytelling’s appeal is that you don’t wallow in too much emotional angst. I also think it affected the story’s flow and pace, which was occasionally slow and a little difficult to follow – although that could have been a result of the story’s translation from French to English.
Will Jeanne and her family manage to keep Restanques and restore it to its pre-war prosperity? Will Jeanne get the chance to discover true love as she works selflessly to restore her family’s financial position? You’ll have to read In the Shade of the Almond Trees to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Marny’s work. show less
Is there anything more beautiful than the French countryside? I certainly don’t think so based on Dominique Marny’s descriptions and cover for In the Shade of the Almond Trees. A book set during the period between the World Wars in Europe, In the Shade of the Almond Trees focuses on one family’s quest to restore their farm and move on after the death of their husband and father in the trenches. Filled with colorful characters, the beauty of the countryside, the changing social structures and a young woman’s discovery of love, this is a book romance lovers will enjoy.
Ms. Marny does a good job introducing the reader to the Barthelemy family as they begin moving on after the war. Living at Restanques, a large and once very prosperous estate, the family now consists of Martha, the family matriarch who thinks her life is over because of her husband’s death, Jeanne, the family’s only daughter, who is determined to keep their creditors at bay and make the farm successful again and Laurent, the family’s only son whose dreams of traveling the world are drawing him away.
While the story mostly focuses on Jeanne’s efforts to restore the farm and her transition into adulthood, we do get to know both her mother and brother and their strengths and weaknesses. I easily connected with Jeanne but had difficulty liking her mother and brother, who show more seemed only to think of themselves. Jeanne is hard working, level headed, and really devoted to her family’s heritage through her love of the land. She was willing to do what had to be done in order to keep her family financially afloat. Something her mother and brother either couldn’t or didn’t want to understand or really help with.
While it did take a little while to get used to Ms. Marny’s voice as an author, the story is told in omnipresent third person, I did eventually get drawn in and fell in love with both Jeanne and the French countryside. While I would have liked to dip further into Jeanne’s mind, and the thoughts of her mother and brother, this form of storytelling’s appeal is that you don’t wallow in too much emotional angst. I also think it affected the story’s flow and pace, which was occasionally slow and a little difficult to follow – although that could have been a result of the story’s translation from French to English.
Will Jeanne and her family manage to keep Restanques and restore it to its pre-war prosperity? Will Jeanne get the chance to discover true love as she works selflessly to restore her family’s financial position? You’ll have to read In the Shade of the Almond Trees to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Marny’s work. show less
A fan of contemporary romance I fell in love with the cover and premise for The Wedding Switch and jumped at the chance to review this short novella by Sharon Kleve. A short story based on a book series by Lucy Kevin (a.k.a. Belle Andre, NY Times and USA Today Best Selling Author of The Sullivans), The Wedding Switch features “The Rose Chalet”, a wedding venue, as a tie in for Ms. Kleve to introduce the readers to the heroine and hero of her story, wedding planner Abby Blackwell and private investigator Hunter Price. If like me you like short, quickly paced, sweet romance books to read when you have a short break then this is a book you’ll want to pick up.
Ms. Kleve does a very good job introducing and developing both Abby and Hunter’s characters from the start. While neither is looking for love at the time they meet, Abby is engaged but having second thoughts about Derrick Coltrane, Hunter’s childhood friend, their instant chemistry can’t be ignored. I especially liked how Hunter, who had been hired to help Derrick push Abby into a quickie wedding for reasons to benefit Derrick’s wallet, attempts to do the right thing and encourages Abby to stick up for herself and what she wants with her fiancée even as he plans a wedding for himself and a fake “fiancée”. While I don’t usually like people who go into a romance based on a lie, I totally understood how Hunter ended up in this situation.
I also liked how Ms. Kleve developed the secondary characters, show more Allesandra, Abby’s best friend and “bridesmaid”, who was looking for a “wealthy” and attractive man to be her 3rd husband and Derrick, Abby’s fiancée whose desire to get married is more about his finances than his or Abby’s heart. While I didn’t care for Derrick, because of his goal and behavior, I did find both he and Allesandra to be entertaining characters.
Will Abby see the light and do the right thing about her “engagement”? Will Derrick somehow get his way and somehow get a quickie wedding? You’ll have to read The Wedding Switch to find out, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Kleve’s work. show less
Ms. Kleve does a very good job introducing and developing both Abby and Hunter’s characters from the start. While neither is looking for love at the time they meet, Abby is engaged but having second thoughts about Derrick Coltrane, Hunter’s childhood friend, their instant chemistry can’t be ignored. I especially liked how Hunter, who had been hired to help Derrick push Abby into a quickie wedding for reasons to benefit Derrick’s wallet, attempts to do the right thing and encourages Abby to stick up for herself and what she wants with her fiancée even as he plans a wedding for himself and a fake “fiancée”. While I don’t usually like people who go into a romance based on a lie, I totally understood how Hunter ended up in this situation.
I also liked how Ms. Kleve developed the secondary characters, show more Allesandra, Abby’s best friend and “bridesmaid”, who was looking for a “wealthy” and attractive man to be her 3rd husband and Derrick, Abby’s fiancée whose desire to get married is more about his finances than his or Abby’s heart. While I didn’t care for Derrick, because of his goal and behavior, I did find both he and Allesandra to be entertaining characters.
Will Abby see the light and do the right thing about her “engagement”? Will Derrick somehow get his way and somehow get a quickie wedding? You’ll have to read The Wedding Switch to find out, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Kleve’s work. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review from the publisher via NetGalley and rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A fascinating mix of time travel fantasy and historical romance, Begun by Time by Morgan O’Neill is the first book in the Elizabethan Time Travel Series. Colorful characters, an interesting look at life in England during the end of World War ii and the unsolved mystery of a man’s “disappearance” kept me turning the pages to discover what would happen next. All in all, I found this to be a very enjoyable read.
Ms. O’Neill does a good job developing her main characters, Catherine Hastings, Jonathan Brandon and Arthur Howard. While the first half of the book dwells on Catherine and Jonathan meeting, falling in love and planning their wedding, it also introduces us to the mystery of Jonathan being touched by a force beyond his control which will change both of their lives. When Jonathan disappears the week before they are to be wed, and Catherine is forced to move on, I found myself heartbroken for both of them. I easily connected with Catherine as she suffers through a loss no one can explain.
When Catherine meets Arthur, a genuinely nice man who would have made any woman’s heart beat faster, I was just as torn as Catherine. Should she leave Jonathan and his disappearance in the past and move on with her life or should she hold out hope for his return and tell Arthur she could only be friends? Ms. show more O’Neill did an equally good job developing the relationship between Catherine and Arthur, and I really enjoyed getting to know Arthur, especially since Arthur wasn’t threatened by Catherine’s fond memories of Jonathan.
Will Catherine ever discover what happened to Jonathan? Will Catherine and Arthur’s marriage survive what Catherine discovers? And will Jonathan ever come back from where he disappeared to? You’ll have to read Begun by Time to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading The Thornless Rose, the continuation of Jonathan’s story. show less
A fascinating mix of time travel fantasy and historical romance, Begun by Time by Morgan O’Neill is the first book in the Elizabethan Time Travel Series. Colorful characters, an interesting look at life in England during the end of World War ii and the unsolved mystery of a man’s “disappearance” kept me turning the pages to discover what would happen next. All in all, I found this to be a very enjoyable read.
Ms. O’Neill does a good job developing her main characters, Catherine Hastings, Jonathan Brandon and Arthur Howard. While the first half of the book dwells on Catherine and Jonathan meeting, falling in love and planning their wedding, it also introduces us to the mystery of Jonathan being touched by a force beyond his control which will change both of their lives. When Jonathan disappears the week before they are to be wed, and Catherine is forced to move on, I found myself heartbroken for both of them. I easily connected with Catherine as she suffers through a loss no one can explain.
When Catherine meets Arthur, a genuinely nice man who would have made any woman’s heart beat faster, I was just as torn as Catherine. Should she leave Jonathan and his disappearance in the past and move on with her life or should she hold out hope for his return and tell Arthur she could only be friends? Ms. show more O’Neill did an equally good job developing the relationship between Catherine and Arthur, and I really enjoyed getting to know Arthur, especially since Arthur wasn’t threatened by Catherine’s fond memories of Jonathan.
Will Catherine ever discover what happened to Jonathan? Will Catherine and Arthur’s marriage survive what Catherine discovers? And will Jonathan ever come back from where he disappeared to? You’ll have to read Begun by Time to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading The Thornless Rose, the continuation of Jonathan’s story. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review. I rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
A fun, lighthearted cozy, A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder by Julie Anne Lindsey is one of those books you pick up thinking you’ll read for an hour or two and then suddenly realize it is 2am and you have to go to sleep. A quirky crime solver, a handsome “law officer” and an interesting mystery set in a gated community grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. Proving pretty girls can be smart, tech savvy and drive cars named “Stella”, Ms. Lindsey’s story is a great start for her Geek Girl Mystery series.
A single woman nearing thirty years old, Mia Connors is a very likable character. Smart, dedicated to her family and in love with girly vintage fashion, she’s the IT manager for a gated community named Horseshoe Falls. A self-professed “Geek Girl”, Mia loves her job, using social media and enjoys attending Renaissance Faires. Ms. Lindsey did a really good job introducing Mia’s character and developing her as the story progressed, I liked her from the start and found it easy to connect with her. While she’s great in a lot of ways, I liked the fact she had some “quirks”; even though she’s in management and gets along well with her family, she’s socially awkward, has less than a handful of friends and doesn’t date because it’s never worked out well for her. Yet, show more she’s completely lovable if you are willing to overlook her faults.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I really liked “Jake Archer”, the new head of security at Horseshoe Falls. He’s tall, smoking hot and for some reason is watching Mia as if she’s a criminal in the making. I also enjoyed getting to meet Mia’s two “best friends” and her family, who are very colorful and contributed a lot of comedy to the story. When the computer network at Horseshoe Falls is “hacked” and residents start getting emails Mia never sent, she finds herself trying to solve a mystery and finding a dead body.
The mystery portion of the book is well developed and takes quite a few twists and turns. I was really surprised how well the mystery was tied into Mia’s IT job and with the gated community in general. An added bonus is that the mystery brings Jake and Mia together and while she tries to prove she’s innocent of any wrong doing, the chemistry between them really heats up. Even though I had a suspicion about the villain’s identity, Ms. Lindsey takes the reader on a pretty good chase and the revelation at the end was very well done. The motive was a complete surprise too!
Will Mia and Jake figure out who killed Mia’s friend and why they did it in her office? Will their smoldering attraction lead to more than a working relationship? You’ll have to read A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. show less
A fun, lighthearted cozy, A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder by Julie Anne Lindsey is one of those books you pick up thinking you’ll read for an hour or two and then suddenly realize it is 2am and you have to go to sleep. A quirky crime solver, a handsome “law officer” and an interesting mystery set in a gated community grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. Proving pretty girls can be smart, tech savvy and drive cars named “Stella”, Ms. Lindsey’s story is a great start for her Geek Girl Mystery series.
A single woman nearing thirty years old, Mia Connors is a very likable character. Smart, dedicated to her family and in love with girly vintage fashion, she’s the IT manager for a gated community named Horseshoe Falls. A self-professed “Geek Girl”, Mia loves her job, using social media and enjoys attending Renaissance Faires. Ms. Lindsey did a really good job introducing Mia’s character and developing her as the story progressed, I liked her from the start and found it easy to connect with her. While she’s great in a lot of ways, I liked the fact she had some “quirks”; even though she’s in management and gets along well with her family, she’s socially awkward, has less than a handful of friends and doesn’t date because it’s never worked out well for her. Yet, show more she’s completely lovable if you are willing to overlook her faults.
The secondary characters are also well developed and I really liked “Jake Archer”, the new head of security at Horseshoe Falls. He’s tall, smoking hot and for some reason is watching Mia as if she’s a criminal in the making. I also enjoyed getting to meet Mia’s two “best friends” and her family, who are very colorful and contributed a lot of comedy to the story. When the computer network at Horseshoe Falls is “hacked” and residents start getting emails Mia never sent, she finds herself trying to solve a mystery and finding a dead body.
The mystery portion of the book is well developed and takes quite a few twists and turns. I was really surprised how well the mystery was tied into Mia’s IT job and with the gated community in general. An added bonus is that the mystery brings Jake and Mia together and while she tries to prove she’s innocent of any wrong doing, the chemistry between them really heats up. Even though I had a suspicion about the villain’s identity, Ms. Lindsey takes the reader on a pretty good chase and the revelation at the end was very well done. The motive was a complete surprise too!
Will Mia and Jake figure out who killed Mia’s friend and why they did it in her office? Will their smoldering attraction lead to more than a working relationship? You’ll have to read A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder to find out. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.
A touch darker in nature than the previous books in the Winemaker Detective Mystery series, Montmartre Mysteries, the eighth entry, takes the reader to Paris, the heart of France where a wine merchant’s murder draws expert Benjamin Cooker and his apprentice Virgile into solving another mystery. Continuing to develop the relationship between Benjamin and Virgile, the authors continue to showcase their knowledge of wine, good food and French culture. If you like books set in foreign countries with colorful characters and like to expand your knowledge of other cultures, this is a series you must read!
Scheduled to attend a tasting expo in Paris, wine expert Benjamin Cooker receives a request for help with their vineyards from a small hospital. Realizing he could assist them while attending the expo, Benjamin agrees and arranges to have Virgile join him as a part of his continuing education. Deciding to visit Arthur Solacroup , a wine merchant in the area he had befriended years before, Benjamin arrives just after Arthur is shot in what appears to be an attempted robbery. While Arthur lies between life and death in the hospital, Benjamin is drawn into solving the mystery of Arthur’s past and discovering the identity of who would want him dead.
Once again the authors do a good job developing the mystery in their story. Taking the reader along for the journey, show more Benjamin and Virgile investigate Arthur’s past; his years in the Foreign Legion, his start as a wine merchant and his history with women. The story takes several unexpected twists and turns as we learn how Arthur’s past caught up with his present and how the sins he committed in his youth are led to the shooting. The story’s pace is fairly even and the author’s provide the reader with the history of the small vineyards located within the city of Paris itself along the way. While I was pleased with the resolution of the mystery itself, I think I would have liked for a little more length to the story and I would have enjoyed it if Benjamin and Virgile had spent more time together in Paris providing more information about culture of Paris itself.
Will Benjamin and Virgile discover who shot Arthur? Will Arthur survive his injuries? You’ll have to read Montmartre Mysteries to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book to see where the authors take us next. show less
A touch darker in nature than the previous books in the Winemaker Detective Mystery series, Montmartre Mysteries, the eighth entry, takes the reader to Paris, the heart of France where a wine merchant’s murder draws expert Benjamin Cooker and his apprentice Virgile into solving another mystery. Continuing to develop the relationship between Benjamin and Virgile, the authors continue to showcase their knowledge of wine, good food and French culture. If you like books set in foreign countries with colorful characters and like to expand your knowledge of other cultures, this is a series you must read!
Scheduled to attend a tasting expo in Paris, wine expert Benjamin Cooker receives a request for help with their vineyards from a small hospital. Realizing he could assist them while attending the expo, Benjamin agrees and arranges to have Virgile join him as a part of his continuing education. Deciding to visit Arthur Solacroup , a wine merchant in the area he had befriended years before, Benjamin arrives just after Arthur is shot in what appears to be an attempted robbery. While Arthur lies between life and death in the hospital, Benjamin is drawn into solving the mystery of Arthur’s past and discovering the identity of who would want him dead.
Once again the authors do a good job developing the mystery in their story. Taking the reader along for the journey, show more Benjamin and Virgile investigate Arthur’s past; his years in the Foreign Legion, his start as a wine merchant and his history with women. The story takes several unexpected twists and turns as we learn how Arthur’s past caught up with his present and how the sins he committed in his youth are led to the shooting. The story’s pace is fairly even and the author’s provide the reader with the history of the small vineyards located within the city of Paris itself along the way. While I was pleased with the resolution of the mystery itself, I think I would have liked for a little more length to the story and I would have enjoyed it if Benjamin and Virgile had spent more time together in Paris providing more information about culture of Paris itself.
Will Benjamin and Virgile discover who shot Arthur? Will Arthur survive his injuries? You’ll have to read Montmartre Mysteries to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book to see where the authors take us next. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour and I rated it 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
A fan of mystery books set in France, I jumped at the chance to read and review The Collector by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont, the first book in her Marion Spicer Art Mystery series. Using pre- Columbian art, and the cutthroat dealings between appraisers, collectors and historians in the art world, Ms. Thiéblemont introduces us to colorful characters willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on a prestigious art collection. What begins as a surprise inheritance soon turns into an adventure where people’s lives are at stake.
Ms. Thiéblemont does a good job introducing us to Marion Spicer right from the start. An intelligent single woman who has been told her father has been dead since she was three years old, Marion discovers that her father had been alive for the last 33 years and living under the name Edmond Magni. The terms of his will leave his entire estate to her, an estate filled with pre-Columbian art valued at over forty-million euros as long as she can locate three pieces which apparently were a part of the collection at one time but had been sold off. Thinking she’s hit the lottery, Marion is very excited about the inheritance and immediately begins to plan how to locate the three items. While Marion works as an investigator in the art field, she’s never worked with pre-Columbian art and has no idea how much danger her life will show more be in as a result of this possible inheritance.
Ms. Thiéblemont also does a good job developing the secondary characters and they are all very colorful. And also strange. As she encounters art dealers and appraisers on her search, Marion is introduced to a world filled with depraved individuals and with art that is somewhat less than appealing – in fact the descriptions of the art collected by her father show that he was obsessed with art that depicted the most barbaric aspects of Columbian civilization. Plus, he was obsessed with sexual objects and quite rude from what she learns from individuals who did business with him. There are also questions about the legality of parts of his collection.
Overall Ms. Thiéblemont’s writing style is engaging and entertaining. The mystery of who is trying to obstruct Marion’s search for the missing items is well done and overall the story takes several twists and turns. Marion is forced to question what she knows about her family and herself and ultimately question who she can trust. The list of people she can trust is even smaller than she thinks. The story’s pace is occasionally a little slow but the story is interesting enough that it kept my attention from start to finish.
Will Marion locate the three missing statutes she needs to collect her inheritance? Will the inheritance turn out to be everything she hoped it would be? Or will her father’s collection be something other than what it appears to be? You’ll have to read The Collector to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. show less
A fan of mystery books set in France, I jumped at the chance to read and review The Collector by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont, the first book in her Marion Spicer Art Mystery series. Using pre- Columbian art, and the cutthroat dealings between appraisers, collectors and historians in the art world, Ms. Thiéblemont introduces us to colorful characters willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on a prestigious art collection. What begins as a surprise inheritance soon turns into an adventure where people’s lives are at stake.
Ms. Thiéblemont does a good job introducing us to Marion Spicer right from the start. An intelligent single woman who has been told her father has been dead since she was three years old, Marion discovers that her father had been alive for the last 33 years and living under the name Edmond Magni. The terms of his will leave his entire estate to her, an estate filled with pre-Columbian art valued at over forty-million euros as long as she can locate three pieces which apparently were a part of the collection at one time but had been sold off. Thinking she’s hit the lottery, Marion is very excited about the inheritance and immediately begins to plan how to locate the three items. While Marion works as an investigator in the art field, she’s never worked with pre-Columbian art and has no idea how much danger her life will show more be in as a result of this possible inheritance.
Ms. Thiéblemont also does a good job developing the secondary characters and they are all very colorful. And also strange. As she encounters art dealers and appraisers on her search, Marion is introduced to a world filled with depraved individuals and with art that is somewhat less than appealing – in fact the descriptions of the art collected by her father show that he was obsessed with art that depicted the most barbaric aspects of Columbian civilization. Plus, he was obsessed with sexual objects and quite rude from what she learns from individuals who did business with him. There are also questions about the legality of parts of his collection.
Overall Ms. Thiéblemont’s writing style is engaging and entertaining. The mystery of who is trying to obstruct Marion’s search for the missing items is well done and overall the story takes several twists and turns. Marion is forced to question what she knows about her family and herself and ultimately question who she can trust. The list of people she can trust is even smaller than she thinks. The story’s pace is occasionally a little slow but the story is interesting enough that it kept my attention from start to finish.
Will Marion locate the three missing statutes she needs to collect her inheritance? Will the inheritance turn out to be everything she hoped it would be? Or will her father’s collection be something other than what it appears to be? You’ll have to read The Collector to find out. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 5 out of 5 Stars and a Recommended Read.
A fan of books set in South Carolina’s Low Country, I looked forward to reading Her Sister’s Shoes by Ashley Farley and was thrilled to discover what I consider to be a literary treasure. What begins as a book about three sisters, their family business and their very different lives turns into a raw, honest look at what makes, breaks and brings together a modern American family. Filled with colorful characters, good dialogue, plenty of southern charm and color, this is a book any lover of women’s fiction will want to pick up.
Ms. Farley does a wonderful job developing the primary characters in this book; I easily connected with Jackie, Samantha “Sam”, and Faith, the three Sweeney sisters, as they try to balance their individual lives, hopes and families. While the three women share some similarities due to their familial bond, it’s clear from the beginning that their personalities are very different and that in a way this summer, life has dealt all three of them a difficult hand. A situation they all had a hand in making. While I myself am the oldest of four daughters, I found myself connecting more with “Sam” than with Jackie, the oldest daughter. Sam is daughter that is the most like her father and is definitely the glue that holds the family together as they go through this difficult show more time.
As each of the women deal with their personal issues; Jackie’s failing marriage, Sam’s son “Jamie” who is suffering from grief and survivor’s guilt due to a friend’s death, and Faith’s drunk, lazy, good for nothing husband who is becoming more dangerous for her and their daughter, they are forced to deal with their family’s seafood business and mother’s health concerns. I loved how Sam and Faith, and even Jackie to an extent, were so involved with their mother. They may not always have agreed on what needed to be done but they were clearly devoted to their families.
Ms. Farley also does a good job with the secondary characters; I especially enjoyed getting to know the three women’s children, Cooper, Sean, Jamie and “Bitsy” and their mom, Lovie. While I didn’t admire Jackie’s husband, Bill, I did understand what drove a wedge in their marriage. I completely hated Faith’s husband, Curtis, and kept hoping that he would disappear. The remaining secondary characters, from the women’s friends and people in town were also well written and added plenty of color, emotional angst and depth to the story.
Ms. Farley’s writing was a joy to read. Her voice as a writer is rich, warm and very easy to follow. I found myself completely immersed in the world she created for her characters and in the characters themselves. The story’s pace is moderate and enjoyable and as a reader I found myself completely engaged in what was taking place on the page. Ms. Farley’s development of her characters emotions is well done and feels very genuine. Her descriptions of life in the little town of Prospect, in the Low Country, is vivid and detailed, which helped me feel as if I was actually there.
Will the Sweeney sisters be able to figure out what is going on with their mother’s health before it’s too late? Will they be able to help each other through the rough summer and be stronger for the challenges they face? You’ll have to read Her Sister’s Shoes to find out, I loved it and gladly highly recommend it. show less
A fan of books set in South Carolina’s Low Country, I looked forward to reading Her Sister’s Shoes by Ashley Farley and was thrilled to discover what I consider to be a literary treasure. What begins as a book about three sisters, their family business and their very different lives turns into a raw, honest look at what makes, breaks and brings together a modern American family. Filled with colorful characters, good dialogue, plenty of southern charm and color, this is a book any lover of women’s fiction will want to pick up.
Ms. Farley does a wonderful job developing the primary characters in this book; I easily connected with Jackie, Samantha “Sam”, and Faith, the three Sweeney sisters, as they try to balance their individual lives, hopes and families. While the three women share some similarities due to their familial bond, it’s clear from the beginning that their personalities are very different and that in a way this summer, life has dealt all three of them a difficult hand. A situation they all had a hand in making. While I myself am the oldest of four daughters, I found myself connecting more with “Sam” than with Jackie, the oldest daughter. Sam is daughter that is the most like her father and is definitely the glue that holds the family together as they go through this difficult show more time.
As each of the women deal with their personal issues; Jackie’s failing marriage, Sam’s son “Jamie” who is suffering from grief and survivor’s guilt due to a friend’s death, and Faith’s drunk, lazy, good for nothing husband who is becoming more dangerous for her and their daughter, they are forced to deal with their family’s seafood business and mother’s health concerns. I loved how Sam and Faith, and even Jackie to an extent, were so involved with their mother. They may not always have agreed on what needed to be done but they were clearly devoted to their families.
Ms. Farley also does a good job with the secondary characters; I especially enjoyed getting to know the three women’s children, Cooper, Sean, Jamie and “Bitsy” and their mom, Lovie. While I didn’t admire Jackie’s husband, Bill, I did understand what drove a wedge in their marriage. I completely hated Faith’s husband, Curtis, and kept hoping that he would disappear. The remaining secondary characters, from the women’s friends and people in town were also well written and added plenty of color, emotional angst and depth to the story.
Ms. Farley’s writing was a joy to read. Her voice as a writer is rich, warm and very easy to follow. I found myself completely immersed in the world she created for her characters and in the characters themselves. The story’s pace is moderate and enjoyable and as a reader I found myself completely engaged in what was taking place on the page. Ms. Farley’s development of her characters emotions is well done and feels very genuine. Her descriptions of life in the little town of Prospect, in the Low Country, is vivid and detailed, which helped me feel as if I was actually there.
Will the Sweeney sisters be able to figure out what is going on with their mother’s health before it’s too late? Will they be able to help each other through the rough summer and be stronger for the challenges they face? You’ll have to read Her Sister’s Shoes to find out, I loved it and gladly highly recommend it. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
A fan of crime stories solved by partners, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review The Tempest by James Lilliefores. I had planned to read the first book in the series, The Psalmist, however I ran out of time and decided to just dive into The Tempest. Fortunately for me, this story stood well enough on its own and I was able to enjoy the story, and the characters, as the story developed. If you’re a fan of book series, movies or t.v. shows featuring crime solving duos, such as Rizzoli and Isles or Major Crimes, this is a book you’ll definitely want to check out.
Mr. Lilliefores does a good job introducing us the to the central crime figure behind the mystery from the very first page and then slowly introduces us to the victim, and the crime solvers Methodist Pastor Luke Bowers, and Amy Hunter, Tidewater County's chief homicide investigator. While it’s not normal to pair a religious leader and a cop as crime solvers, I found this duo very interesting and enjoyed getting to know their characters both individually and as a duo. When a summer tourist visiting the area, and temporarily attending Luke’s church, approaches him about her fear her that her husband is going to harm her, the first person he naturally thinks of involving is Amy because of their past association solving a crime. When the woman turns up dead, show more Luke and Amy find themselves being drawn into another murder mystery, and one that involves organized crime and stolen art masterpieces.
The secondary characters, from Susan Champlain, the murder victim, to the members of Luke’s church, the people in town and the criminals involved are all well developed and I enjoyed watching them interact with Luke and Amy as they investigate. While we do get to know what is going on in both character’s personal lives at the same time, the story’s main focus is on the crime solving and not on their personal drama and angst, something which often derails so many stories lately. .
The mystery was well developed and well-paced. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and clues and revelations were shared at just the right time. The story was filled with plenty of suspense and with the characters determination to see justice prevail. I especially liked how both Luke and Amy’s sense of justice felt natural and how neither character used the events taking place as an opportunity to “preach” at the reader and instead let the reader reach their own conclusions on how justice would best be served.
Will Luke and Amy discover who is behind the murder and why Susan was killed? Will they be able to bring the criminals to justice or will the stolen masterpieces remain hidden from the rightful owners? You’ll have to read The Tempest to find out. I really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the next installment in this series. show less
A fan of crime stories solved by partners, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review The Tempest by James Lilliefores. I had planned to read the first book in the series, The Psalmist, however I ran out of time and decided to just dive into The Tempest. Fortunately for me, this story stood well enough on its own and I was able to enjoy the story, and the characters, as the story developed. If you’re a fan of book series, movies or t.v. shows featuring crime solving duos, such as Rizzoli and Isles or Major Crimes, this is a book you’ll definitely want to check out.
Mr. Lilliefores does a good job introducing us the to the central crime figure behind the mystery from the very first page and then slowly introduces us to the victim, and the crime solvers Methodist Pastor Luke Bowers, and Amy Hunter, Tidewater County's chief homicide investigator. While it’s not normal to pair a religious leader and a cop as crime solvers, I found this duo very interesting and enjoyed getting to know their characters both individually and as a duo. When a summer tourist visiting the area, and temporarily attending Luke’s church, approaches him about her fear her that her husband is going to harm her, the first person he naturally thinks of involving is Amy because of their past association solving a crime. When the woman turns up dead, show more Luke and Amy find themselves being drawn into another murder mystery, and one that involves organized crime and stolen art masterpieces.
The secondary characters, from Susan Champlain, the murder victim, to the members of Luke’s church, the people in town and the criminals involved are all well developed and I enjoyed watching them interact with Luke and Amy as they investigate. While we do get to know what is going on in both character’s personal lives at the same time, the story’s main focus is on the crime solving and not on their personal drama and angst, something which often derails so many stories lately. .
The mystery was well developed and well-paced. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and clues and revelations were shared at just the right time. The story was filled with plenty of suspense and with the characters determination to see justice prevail. I especially liked how both Luke and Amy’s sense of justice felt natural and how neither character used the events taking place as an opportunity to “preach” at the reader and instead let the reader reach their own conclusions on how justice would best be served.
Will Luke and Amy discover who is behind the murder and why Susan was killed? Will they be able to bring the criminals to justice or will the stolen masterpieces remain hidden from the rightful owners? You’ll have to read The Tempest to find out. I really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the next installment in this series. show less
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the authors for a fair and honest review.
A cozy mystery set in a pumpkin patch in Virginia, Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Joyce and Jim Lavene is filled with colorful characters, plenty of action and a light touch of humor. The first book in a new series by the authors, this is a book cozy readers will enjoy, especially those who enjoy reading cozies with recipes. Having read other books by these authors, I looked forward to reading this new story and was not disappointed.
A divorced attorney given the task of selling her grandparents farm, Sarah Tucker returns to Misty River for the first time in 16 years. While waiting for the real estate agent to arrive, Sarah can’t help remembering the good times she had visiting her grandparents as a child and how they all came to an end when she turned twelve and her grandparents literally disappeared from the face of the earth. Determined to discover what happened all those years ago, Sarah soon finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and a hunt for buried treasure.
The authors do an excellent job introducing us to Sarah, the female sleuth at the center of their new series. She’s attractive, smart and thinks she can take care of herself, especially since she learned to use a gun and is licensed to carry. I easily connected with Sarah and enjoyed watching her character develop as I turned the pages. Good character development is something I’ve come to admire show more about the Lavene’s and their stories.
The secondary characters, beginning with Jack Collins, a man “illegally” living on Sarah’s family’s property, are well developed and I found myself laughing every time that Jack made an appearance. Especially since he and Sarah have a backstory she doesn’t completely remember. The sheriff of the small town and the rest of the inhabitants are also well developed and each contributed something to the story. I especially liked how everyone had good things to say about Sarah’s grandparents, though clearly some of them have too much time on their hands because they thought they had been abducted by aliens. It was also nice to have a “surprise visit” from a character in another of the author’s series, it just added an extra element of fun.
The mystery of what happened to Sarah’s grandparents and why someone gets killed inside the old farmstead within a day of Sarah’s arrival is well developed and takes several twists and turns. It’s also tied to a legend about Confederate gold that is supposedly hidden somewhere on the property. The story is quickly paced and my imagination was clearly engaged in the story. I especially enjoyed how something that was supposed to be simple and take a couple of days at most, turned into a life changing experience for Sarah.
Will Sarah discover what really happened to her grandparents? Will she find the Confederate gold that is allegedly buried on her family’s land? And will Sarah and Jack become good friends? You’ll have to read Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About to find out. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. show less
A cozy mystery set in a pumpkin patch in Virginia, Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Joyce and Jim Lavene is filled with colorful characters, plenty of action and a light touch of humor. The first book in a new series by the authors, this is a book cozy readers will enjoy, especially those who enjoy reading cozies with recipes. Having read other books by these authors, I looked forward to reading this new story and was not disappointed.
A divorced attorney given the task of selling her grandparents farm, Sarah Tucker returns to Misty River for the first time in 16 years. While waiting for the real estate agent to arrive, Sarah can’t help remembering the good times she had visiting her grandparents as a child and how they all came to an end when she turned twelve and her grandparents literally disappeared from the face of the earth. Determined to discover what happened all those years ago, Sarah soon finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and a hunt for buried treasure.
The authors do an excellent job introducing us to Sarah, the female sleuth at the center of their new series. She’s attractive, smart and thinks she can take care of herself, especially since she learned to use a gun and is licensed to carry. I easily connected with Sarah and enjoyed watching her character develop as I turned the pages. Good character development is something I’ve come to admire show more about the Lavene’s and their stories.
The secondary characters, beginning with Jack Collins, a man “illegally” living on Sarah’s family’s property, are well developed and I found myself laughing every time that Jack made an appearance. Especially since he and Sarah have a backstory she doesn’t completely remember. The sheriff of the small town and the rest of the inhabitants are also well developed and each contributed something to the story. I especially liked how everyone had good things to say about Sarah’s grandparents, though clearly some of them have too much time on their hands because they thought they had been abducted by aliens. It was also nice to have a “surprise visit” from a character in another of the author’s series, it just added an extra element of fun.
The mystery of what happened to Sarah’s grandparents and why someone gets killed inside the old farmstead within a day of Sarah’s arrival is well developed and takes several twists and turns. It’s also tied to a legend about Confederate gold that is supposedly hidden somewhere on the property. The story is quickly paced and my imagination was clearly engaged in the story. I especially enjoyed how something that was supposed to be simple and take a couple of days at most, turned into a life changing experience for Sarah.
Will Sarah discover what really happened to her grandparents? Will she find the Confederate gold that is allegedly buried on her family’s land? And will Sarah and Jack become good friends? You’ll have to read Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About to find out. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. show less