Kathy's (kmartin802's) Second 2022 Thread (April - June)

Time for a new thread which adds to the 95 books I read from January - March. See my First Thread here.

I generally post after I've read ten books.

96. Night Work by Laurie R. King (419 p.; 11:30) -- Female vigilantes begin by pranking men who are suspected abusers of women but then someone takes their idea and begins murdering men who fit that category. Al and Kate must investigate. Kate is also asked by Roz to look into the death of young Indian woman whose death might have been a bride death - murder. When her abusive husband is also murdered, at first it looks like another done by the same group. Lots of theology and lots of police procedural. Great characters and intriguing plot.

97. Beginnings by Laurie R. King (103 p.; 4:19) -- Novella that talks about the death that inspired Kate's career as a homicide detective. Kate's 16-year-old sister Patty died in a single car accident just months after Kate went off to college. Now, questions from Nora, send Kate back to her despised hometown to view an accident report that has too many unanswered questions. She and Al investigate this cold case and finally bring a murderer to justice.

98. Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse by Martin Davies (233 p.) -- Interesting take on the Sherlock Holmes stories with Mrs. Hudson given a much larger role and importance than the original. Told by Mrs. Hudson's apprentice Flotsam, we see Mrs. Hudson using her extensive contacts and intelligence to guide Holmes to the correct conclusion when a panicked man talking about curses comes to hire him. Great historical detail and a fun adventure.

99. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson (416 p.) -- Review. YA Mystery. Iris Adams is hired to tutor Alice Ogilvie. Alice is rich; Iris is poor. When Alice's ex-best friend Brooke is found murdered, and Alice's former boyfriend Steve is arrested, the two team up to find the real murderer and uncover lots of secrets in their small town. Great characters and a nice twisty plot with lots of references to Agatha Christie (Alice's hero).

100. On the Edge by Ilona Andrews (336 p.; 12:08) -- First book in the Edge series introduces Rose Dreyton, her little brothers George and Jack, and the world that borders The Broken (our world) and the Weird which is filled with magic. When Declan Camarine comes to the Edge on the hunt for a criminal, he finds himself protecting Rose and her brothers whose magic makes them special targets for the villain. Filled with action and romance.

Happy new one! The King books look interesting - I'll check them out.

Happy new thread, Kathy and congratulations on 100 books already.

Happy new thread! You are reading up a storm :)

Happy new thread, Kathy!

101. The Target by Catherine Coulter (362 p.; 11:04) -- District Court Judge Ramsey Hunt, hiding out in a cabin in the Rockies, discovers kidnap victim 6-year-old Emma Santera and has to keep her safe from unknown enemies. Molly Santera, Emma's mother, finds them and together they need to solve the mystery of who wants Molly. Great characters, lots of action, and a twisty plot.

102. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (304 p.) -- Review. Three unlikely detectives - 77-year-old eccentric Judith Potts, dog-walker Suzie, and vicar's wife Becks - solve a trio of baffling murders in their small village of Marlow. Great characters and interesting plot.

103. When She Dreams by Amanda Quick (352 p.) -- Review. Maggie Lodge works for reclusive advice columnist Aunt Cordelia. When Aunt Cordelia receives a blackmail note, Maggie hires former LAPD homicide detective Sam Sage to investigate. They go to a conference for lucid dreaming in Burning Cove and discover con men, dead bodies, and lots of villains. They also fall in love. Filled with period detail and witty banter.

104. The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan (464 p.) -- Review. Third Quinn & Costa thriller finds the team investigating the explosion of a boat in the San Juan Islands. The explosion killed 8 including a retired FBI Agent. First, they need to discover the target. It could be the charter company or any of the people on board. There's tension on the team. Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Catherine Jones dislikes Kara Quinn for reasons explained in the story. Kara isn't sure she will ever fit in. The book was filled with action, intriguing characters, and a compelling mystery.

105. The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry (352 p.) -- Review. The fourth Kate Hamilton mystery starts with a fake Ver Meer, throws in a 50-year-old murder, and the current deaths of some of the five teens who investigated the old murder. Kate's landlady Vivian was one of those teens and Kate is determined to keep her alive. Nice mystery. Great setting and characters.

106. The Elf Tangent by Lindsay Buroker (404 p.) -- Engaging fantasy about a princess who'd rather study economics and an elven prince who needs to save his people. Aldari is set to take part in an arranged marriage with the prince next door in exchange for military support to keep her kingdom free when she is kidnapped by Hawk who needs Aldari's brains to solve some puzzles which will end a war in his country. They fall in love but Aldari is torn between her duty to her country and her desire to use her skills to help save Hawk's country. Fast-paced, filled with action, and lots of engaging characters.

107. The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn (318 p.; 10:04) -- Theodora Lestrange travels to visit an old school friend in the Carpathians in this Gothic romantic thriller. She finds herself falling in love with the new Count who's a rake who spent years in Paris. There are rumors of werewolves in the woods and vampires in the castle. Great story.

108. And By Fire by Evie Hawtrey (336 p.) -- Review. Dual timeline mystery. DI Nigella Parker and her Scotland Yard partner Colm O'Leary are called to a scene at the Wren Memorial to the Great Fire to find what first looks like a dead and burned body. That one turns out to be a wooden firgure but there are more, at other Wren sites, and the bodies become human. The story also takes place in 1666 when Lady Margaret Dove and Etienne Belland investigate the death of a bookseller who died during the Great Fire. Only the death was murder and the murderer someone very unexpected. Both parts of the story were equally compelling but the descriptions of the Great Fire were especially vivid.

109. Guild Boss by Jayne Ann Krentz (302 p.; 8:28) -- Gabriel Jones is the new Guild Boss in Illusion City. Lucy Bell is weather channeler. He rescues her when she is kidnapped, drugged, and left in the underground, but people believe that she wasn't kidnapped; that she drank too much, took drugs, and wandered into the underground on her own. Lots of plot threads and twists and great characters. Otis is the dust bunny who finds Lucy and brings her pizza until Gabriel manages to find her.

110. Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting (352 p.) -- Review. Contemporary Romance. London Spark runs Spark House with her sisters; Jackson Holt is a billionaire.

111. Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer (620 p.; 17:55) -- Nine-year-old twin geniuses Louise and Jillian Mayer are the stars. Living in New York City and attending a school for the gifted, they are secretly the creators of films showing life on Elfhome. When they learn that their parents are not genetically their parents, they go on a quest to discover their past which leads to a current sibling - Tinker - on Elfhome and 4 embryos still in the fertility bank that need rescuing before disposal. They learn their parents were astrocaut Esme Shenske and inventor Leonardo Dufae. They find themselves in the middle of a plot to take over Elfhome by the oni and only their brilliance and help from an odd assortment of allies will let them all survive.

112. Harbinger by Wen Spencer (534 p.) -- Complex plot weaves together many plot threads and many characters as the oni invasion is beginning. Characters from all the earlier books have plot threads in this one. Massive cliffhanger ending.

113. Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (400 p.) -- Review. Nice contemporary story about Laura Costello who comes to LA to attend graduate school (and get away from her family's expectations). She makes new friends and falls in love. The characters are quirky but very real. The story is filled with heart and humor.

114. Tinker by Wen Spencer (448 p.; 13:33) -- First in the Elfhome series introduces girl genius Tinker and her world - a Pittsburgh that shifts between Earth and Elfhome when China's interdimensional gate is turned on or off. She is the daughter of the genius who invented the gate who has been hidden in Pittsburgh but now her identity is outed and both the NSA and the Oni want her to make a gate for them. She also finds herself married the Windwolf who is the viceroy on Elfhome of the lands where Pittsburgh sits. I love both the magic and the physics and the relationship between Tinker and Windwolf.

115. Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer (368 p.; 13:10) -- Direct sequel to TINKER. With Pittsburgh now stuck on Elfhome and a spatial discontinuity in the city, Tinker needs to fix things. She's being plagued by prophetic dreams based on the Wizard of Oz that are leaving her confused and sleep-deprived, Meanwhile, Windwolf is dealing with elven politics and a potential land grab by another clan while trying to root out the hidden oni who want to conquer Elfhome. Great characters and great worldbuilding.

116. Elfhome by Wen Spencer (560 p.; 14:42) -- Oilcan rescues a child of the Stone Clan and learns others are also missing. He and Tinker rescue them from oni control and Oilcan ends up taking them in while Tinker tries to discover what it is about them that make them so attractive to the oni. Meanwhile, Tommy Chang is trying to find a way for his half-oni people to fit in in the new Pittsburgh without entering into sponsorship which looks too much like the slavery of the oni. Great worldbuilding and wonderful characters.

117. Project Elfhome by Wen Spencer (543 p.: 19:13) -- This book is a series of interconnected stories that tell about what life is like in Elfhome if you are not one of the main characters in the series. Law is a forager with a hero complex who saves a young elf who has been shunned by the other clans. Jane is the producer for a show about backyard gardens and the dangerous plants that can inhabit them. She is also a native who hasn't given up looking for her young sister who disappeared some years ago. Olivia is an illegal immigrant who arrived pregnant and on the run from her abusive spouse. She takes on responsibility for an insane elf to make a place for herself in Elfhome. All of these characters have a part to play in the on-going war between the elves and the oni with humans caught in the middle.

118. Dead Against Her by Melinda Leigh (300 p.) -- Review. Sheriff Bree Taggert is investigating the murder of a former deputy and his mother while being cyber-harassed by revenge porn and deepfake videos.

119. Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer (620 p.; 17:55) -- Reread so that I'd have the whole story in order.

120. Harbinger by Wen Spencer (534 p.) -- Reread so that I'd have the whole story in order. Danged cliffhanger ending!

121. The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood (272 p.) -- Review. 15 Phryne Fisher short stories filled with 1920s fashion and mores. The cases were all pretty similar and all relied on Phryne's skills at observation rather than any more physical detecting. The stories were all tightly focused on Phryne with other characters in the 21 novels barely mentioned.

122. Contempt by Michael Cordell (202 p.) -- Review. Real Estate Lawyer Thane Banning was wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Five years later his conviction is overturned due to a technicality. He needs to try to rebuild his life and rebuild his relationship with the wife who waited for him. When a fellow convict comes to him for help when he's wrongly accused of murder, Thane takes the case despite lack of experience with criminal law. With the help of a fellow convict out on parole and a law school student nearing graduation, Thane takes on the DA who convicted him and manages to find justice for his client and himself while righting other wrongs even if it takes him outside the law he is supposed to serve.

123. A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier (331 p.; 11:58) -- Mercy Carr came back from Afghanistan with a war wound and her deceased fiance's service dog Elvis who is suffering from canine PTSD. Together the two are trying to heal and doing alright until Elvis locates an abandoned baby in the woods which puts the team in the middle of murders and mysteries. Game Warden Troy Warner and his dog Susie Bear become their partners as they try to find the murderers and solve the other mysteries. Great characters and great setting.

124. A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman (320 p.) -- Review. Second in Ruthless Rivals series stars Carys Davies and Tristan Montgomery. She's made a place for herself in society with her outrageous outfits and opinions. But she's hiding that she is being blackmailed by a former suitor who took advantage of her. Then Tristan finds out and the two decided that he'll teach her all about love-making. Unbeknownst to each other, they have been in love with each other since they were children.

125. Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll (313 p.; 8:34) -- Middle grade fantasy about Ramya Knox who has dyspraxia but who also can see through glamours. She's feisty and abrasive and irritated that she is being identified only by her disability. However, she works with her cousin to save the magical creatures of Edinburgh and rebuild her own family after attacks from sirens. Great worldbuilding.

126. The Emperor's Wolves by Michelle Sagara (518 p.; 17:13) -- 1st book in prequel fantasy series set in Elantra and starring Severn Handred. He is recruited into the Wolves and has as his first case the death of a number of Tha'alani which has him traveling into the Barrani High Courts and into the Tha'alani culture too. Intriguing start to new series which raises as many questions about Severn as it answers.

127. Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh (329 p.) -- The fourth Rock Hard book stars Catie and Danny. He's a star Rugby player; she's a parlympian since she lost her lower legs when she was young. Both are having issues with their sports but the problem comes when Danny is drugged in a club and Catie saves him. They have been frenemies since they met but now they have to pretend a relationship to save both their reputations. But soon the relationship becomes real. Great characters and a nice romance.

128. The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery (448 p.) -- Review. Relationships galore. Bree, Mikki, and Ashley leased a building on the beach for their three businesses and became friends. Ashley is in a long-time, loving relationship. She thinks everything is fine until she learns that her boyfriend never intends to marry her. Mikki is three years divorced and ready to start dating again. She meets a great guy but her current relationship with her ex might tank her new found happiness. Bree is broken. Her abusive parents and spouse have made her believe that she can never find love. When Ashley's brother has a book signing and falls for Bree, it is a hard relationship for all of them. Great characters and lots of emotions.

129. Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara (518 p.; 16:51) -- Severn Handred, the newest of the Emperor's Wolves, takes a leave of absence to travel to the West March to try to learn about his own mysterious past. Great worldbuilding and a complex plot made for a great story.

130. The Way to Glory by David Drake (424 p,; 14:20) -- Fourth in the Daniel Leary series sees him assigned to the crew of a commander who resents him and is also paranoid. He and Adele and their loyal crew have to find a way to survive a commander who might just space them. They also have to thwart the Alliance's plans to build a new base on the world where Daniel has been sent to hunt pirates.

131. Nightwork by Nora Roberts (228 p.) -- Review. Another excellent standalone title by Roberts. Harry Booth becomes a thief at age nine to help keep a roof over himself and his cancer-stricken mother. When she dies when he turns 18, he begins a journey to find what he wants. He meets and make friends while always keeping his distance from people until he meets Miranda Emerson and falls in love. But a man who has hired him to steal for him and now wants to own him threatens Booth's new life and those he loves. He goes on the run, honing his skills, and keeping one step ahead of LaPorte until he meets Miranda some years later and he decides to get LaPorte off his back once and for all. Great characters, interesting plot, great emotional depth to the story.

132. Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin (368 p.) -- Review. Romantic suspense - 3rd in a series. Detective Owen Breda has a murder to solve. Macey Burns is new in town to launch her career as a filmmaker by making commercials for the tourist board. She's rented the victim's house and apparently aroused the interest of the murderer. She's coming off a bad relationship and he's too busy to start a new one, but a relationship starts. Too many characters (I'm assuming from earlier books) dilute the focus in this one.

133. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong (352 p.) -- Review. Vancouver Homicide Detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh because her grandmother is dying of cancer. A late-night jog and an attack in an alley, finds her waking up in 1869 in the body of a housemaid to mortician Dr. Gray. Mallory is determined to find a way back to her own time. She hopes finding out who attacked Catriona will lead to a way home. Unfortunately, she finds that she isn't the only one who traveled back in time; Her serial killer attacker did too and now he's looking for publicity by recreating the crimes of Jack the Ripper years before the Ripper terrorized London. Great characters and nice mystery.

134. A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari (304 p.) -- Review. London 1923. Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant in botany with Dr. Maxwell at University College London. She faces all sorts of prejudice and harassment as a woman in a man's job. When the wife of one of the professor's is poisoned and Dr. Maxwell is suspected, Saffron decides to investigate to clear his name. She is assisted by new department member Alexander Ashton, a bacteriologist and WWI veteran. Great characters and nice mystery.

135. The Ambitious Card by John Gaspard (296 p,; 9:02) -- The first Eli Marks mystery, set in Mineeapolis/St. Paul, was an entertaining and engaging story. To keep himself from being framed for the murder of a number of psychics, magician Eli Marks needs to find the real murderer. Great characters and I really liked the setting.

136. The Gatekeeper by James Byrne (336 p.) -- Review. Thriller starring former mercenary Dez Limerick who saves a woman from kidnapping by an armed group and then works with her as she tries to discover who stole more than a billion dollars from the large and powerful military contractor started by her father. Their investigation leads to an armed coup, corrupt military, venal media moguls, and foreign interference. Luckily, Dez is smart enough and skilled enough to disrupt all the bad guys. Lots of action and adventure.

137. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert (304 p.) -- Review. Charlotte Reed and her friend retired spy Ellen have to play amateur sleuths again when one of the inn's guests is found murdered in the garden. The guest is one of a group of booklovers. The group seems to have all sorts of conflicts within it from stolen jewelry designs to allegations of slander. As Charlotte and Ellen investigate, they find plenty of motives and almost all the attendees also have the means to have committed the crime. Fun mystery with a bit of danger and a bit of romance.

138. The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters (230 p.; 6:51) -- Entertaining episode in the Jacqueline Kirby series. This time she's at a house party in England. The guests are all fans eager to prove Richard III's innocence. When a series of accidents mimicking the fates of Richard's contemporaries occur, it is up to Jacqueline to discover the joker before the jokes lead to murder. Fun characters. Well done narration.

139. Peril at Pennington Manor by Tracy Gardner (304 p.) -- Review. Second Avery Ayres antiques mystery has the team appraising items at a castle-like mansion on the Hudson. Discovering missing objects and inferior objects substituted for priceless ones only begins the mystery. The death of the housekeeper who fell, or was pushed, from the roof adds tension. Avery has other tension stemming from a new boyfriend, her sister coming back unexpectedly from England, and her father dealing with the death of his wife. Interesting characters and a nice mystery. Writing was a little pedestrian.

140. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (370 p.; 13:26) -- The first Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes novel introduces 15-year-old Mary to retired Sherlock Holmes. He takes her as his apprentice and this story covers a span of 4 years as she learns from him and goes to Oxford to study theology. The cases include a kidnapping of a six-year-old and attempted murder of Sherlock, Mary, and everyone close to Sherlock by a villain who has ties to his past. I loved the period detail and changes in Britain during WWI. I loved the way Mary and Sherlock become friends. I like that they challenge each other.

141. Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron (304 p.) -- Review. New cozy series set in New Orleans stars Ricki James-Diaz. She is running a vintage cookbook and cookware store at a historic home that was once the home a one of New Orleans best female chefs. There is a quirky cast of characters and a body of one of the nastiest of the tour guides delivered to the home in a trunk with one of Ricki's vintage can openers as the murder weapon. I liked Ricki and the other characters and enjoyed the mystery. First in a new series.

142. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (303 p.; 11:43) -- 2nd Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell mystery takes place just as Mary is claiming her inheritance. She has graduated from Oxford with degrees in Theology and Chemistry. She meets old friend Ronnie who introduces her to Margery Childe who has started a church/social reform organization. Mary is intrigued with Margery's theology but has concerns about her organization since a number of wealthy young female supporters have died in "accidents" after willing money to Margery's cause. When her friend Ronnie is almost killed and Mary is kidnapped, Sherlock steps in to find Mary and the two solve the case. This one also concerns Mary and Sherlock's relationship now that Mary is an adult.

143. A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King (35 p.; 10:32) -- Mary and Sherlock's next mystery begins with a visit from an old friend they met in Palestine. Dorothy Ruskin is an amateur archaeologist who has uncovered a potentially church-shaking letter from Mary Magdalene indicating that she was one of Jesus's apostles. When Dorothy dies in a suspicious hit-and-run, Mary and Sherlock try to discover who killed her and why. Excellent historical detail and intriguing plot.

144. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (324 p.) -- Tempe is in Montreal and may finally solve the mystery of the disappearance of her childhood friend many years later. Ryan is also working on some disappearances of young girls and Hippo is working on a cold case also concerning missing girls. Lots of action, medical information, and a nice twisty plot.

145. O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King (448 p.; 14:12) -- 1919; Palestine. Needing to get out of England for a while, Sherlock and Mary take a commission from Mycroft to look into a problem in Palestine. Mary is very eager to see the country of her people and the country and history she has studied. They find themselves searching for a criminal mastermind who wants to undermine any sort of peace in the region. The descriptions of the geography and history was intriguing. The mystery was well-plotted and put both Mary and Sherlock in various kinds of danger.

146. The Moor by Laurie R. King (319 p.; 10:50) -- Mary and Sherlock return to the setting of the Hound of the Baskervilles to investigate a new case of supernatural carriages and one-eyed dogs. Sherlock has an old friend there - Sabine Baring-Gould - who is dying but would like the case solved before he does. Great descriptions of a difficult terrain and great partnership between Mary and Holmes.

147. Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters (336 p.; 7:21) -- Reread of a mystery from 1973 which introduces historian Vicky Bliss as she competes with her boyfriend and others to be the first to find a lost masterwork hidden somewhere in a German castle.

148. Her Dying Day by Mindy Carlson (320 p.) -- Film student June Masterson finds danger when she decides to make a documentary about the disappearance of one of her favorite authors from her childhood. Most of those close to Greer Larkin had reasons to want her dead and now they don't want June looking into the case.

149. A Little Too Familiar by Lish McBride (414 p.) -- Fun paranormal romance starring werewolf Declan and animal mage Louise. He's left home so his sister and his former girlfriend can pursue their relationship. He moves into a house where Lou is one of his roommates. They are attracted. But their relationship hits a road block when his parents escape from prison and want revenge on him. When Lou protects him from one attack, she accidentally binds him to her which gets her in major trouble. It also makes it hare for to know if he would be attracted to her without the binding. Great characters and worldbuilding.

150. Necessity's Child by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (336 p.; 11:54) -- reread of a favorite Liaden Universe story.

>10 kmartin802: Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Kathy!

>11 FAMeulstee: Thank you.

Well done Kathy for racing to 2x75 at your usual lick.

>13 PaulCranswick: Thanks.

151. Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (320 p.; 9:29) -- Alternate history with magic. Eff is the unlucky 13th child and twin of the very lucky seventh son of a seventh son. Her family moves to the frontier where her father takes a job as a teacher of magic at a new land grant college. The story follows Eff from age 5 to age 18 as she tells her own coming-of-age story. Great worldbuilding and fascinating characters.

152. Book Lovers by Emily Henry (398 p.) -- Literary Agent Nora Stephens will do anything for her younger sister Libby, even spend a month in bucolic Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Nora wants to try to reestablish a close relationship with her sister and Libby has an agenda too. Meeting Charlie Listra, a book editor from New York, there in his home town causes Nora to wonder if she can't be the heroine in this romance. Wonderful characters.

153. Three Little Words by Susan Mallery (332 p.; 9:10) -- Fool's Gold Romance. Isabel Beebe is back home running her parents' bridal shop and getting over a divorce. Ford Hendrix is back home after a career as a Navy SEAl. Isabel began writing letters to Ford when she was 14 and continued for 10 years. She loved him and poured out her heart to him. He never answered back but kept all the letters and reread them often. Now, to appease his mother, they have entered into a fake dating relationship which quickly becomes real on her side. There is a secondary romance starring Ford's brother Kent and Ford's partner Consuela. Great relationships and wonderful side characters.

154. The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver (388 p.) -- Review. Second WWII mystery starring Ellie McDonnell. This one begins when Major Ramsey comes looking for someone to unlock a bracelet on a drowned woman's wrist and leads to Ellie, Major Ramsey and her family tracking down a German spy ring in London. Great story with lots of action.

155. Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede (352 p.; 9:25) -- Eff leaves school and works with Professor Jeffries at the college menagerie. She is able to go on expeditions to the Far West and discovers new plants and animals including one that turns animals into stone. She also learns more about her use of magic.

156. Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb (388 p.) -- Eve catches a case that begins as a missing persons case when she is called to investigate the disappearance of Dennis Mira's cousin Edward. As she begins, she learns how different the cousins were. She has a crush on Dennis Mira but Edward was a sociopath, according to Dr. Mira, who held himself above the rules. Eve investigates the young women has has had affairs with in the past year and, when his tortured body is found, investigates his past. A couple more deaths follow of men who were Edward's cronies. This is a case where Eve has much more sympathies with the murderers than with the victims though that doesn't change the fact that she stands for the dead - even the unlikable dead. The case brings back Eve's one tortured childhood but also shows that she has built a strong support network - Roarke, Mira, Peabody. I liked the touches of humor that infused the story - Eve's views on Roarke's possible infidelity, her mixing up and over-analyzing of idioms, and a room full of dolls.

157. Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (314 p.) -- Eve is called in on the case of the senator's granddaughter who worked as a licensed companion and was murdered with an antique weapon. The case causes her to meet Roarke who is a mysterious billionaire who was the last to see the murder victim. They are instantly attracted though they are very different people. Great mystery, start of a great romance.

158. The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede (389 p.; 10:47) -- Eff is 21 and has a chance to go on an expedition beyond the Great Barrier Spell to explore the Far West. Among the other explorers are her brother Lan, her best friend William, the man who marriage proposal she turned down, and two of her magic teachers - Professor Ochiba and Wash. This was a well-developed fantasy with a Midwestern setting. Wrede creates wonderful magical animals and various systems of magic. Eff grows up, comes to an acceptance of her magic, falls in love, and determines her future career. Excellent conclusion to the series.

159. Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (320 p.) -- Review. YA locked room mystery filled with unlikable characters. ten YA influencers are invited to Unknown Island - the latest, greatest place to be according to social media - and find that it isn't at all like it was advertised and that someone wants them dead. And they are rather quickly dead by poisoning, stabbling, and some things that look like accidents. There is only one survivor who might have planned the whole thing but no one will ever be able to prove it.

160. Blind Search by Paula Munier (345 p.; 12:10) -- Second Mercy and Elvis mystery. A body is discovered in the woods. She was shot through the heart with an arrow. The only witness is Henry - nine, non-verbal, autistic, and obsessed with numbers. Mercy and Elvis have to keep him safe while trying to find out what he saw. Lots of suspects from the local billionaire's guests to poachers and gun/drug runners. Mercy and Troy's relationship hits a snag when his not-divorced wife comes back to town.

161. Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley (336 p.) -- Review. Nice "opposites attract" romance. Jada is a poor-little-rich girl with dyslexia and an overly critical set of parents. She's impulsive. Donoval Dell is a pro football player who was raised in financial uncertainty due a father addicted to gambling. Donovan always has a plan. They are thrown together when her grandmother, who owns the team Donovan play for, encourages Jade to work with Donovan in his new cupcake business. Her past as the woman who refused the star's proposal on a matchmaking reality show which made her the most reviled woman in America comes back to haunt them as Donovan and Jada are learning to appreciate each other's differences and fall in love.

162. Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (320 p.) -- Reread. 2nd in series. Eve and Roarke are having some adjustment difficulties and Eve has a case where someone is slashing the throats of prominent women. First victim is Prosecutor who happens to be close family friends with Eve's boss. Tension at work as she pursues her investigation and it looks like the woman's son is the perpetrator.

163. Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb (320 p.) -- Reread. Eve makes Peabody her aide for the first time here. Mavis meets Leonardo and gets charged with murder when the model who should be starring in his first fashion show is bludgeoned to death. Eve is also preparing for her wedding while working on freeing Mavis. She remembers for the first time that she killed her abusive rapist of a father. Dr. Mira becomes more than a colleague as Eve begins to trust her more.

164. The Shelterlings by Sarah Beth Durst (256 p.) -- Review. Middle grade fantasy filled with talking animals. The animals are all residents of a home for rejected familiars because they all have odd magic. Holly, a squirrel who conjures pastries, is disappointed not to be a wizard's familiar but she is making the best of things and making friends. When she gets a change to go on an adventure to help a friend recast a magic spell, Holly learns that she is enough, her talent and intelligence are enough, and she can be a hero even without a wizard. Great story about making a home and being yourself.

165. Fledgling by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (384 p.; 13:18) -- Reread. Introduces Theo Waitley who was born on the safe world of Delgado. Her mother's people were all scholars but her father is Jen-Sar Kiladi (better known as Daav yos'Phelium) and she has inherited more from him than from her mother. She's a misfit on Delgado but once she grows into her body and reflexes, she'll be a star pilot to reckon with.

166. Saltation by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (336 p.; 11:41) -- Reread. This is Theo Waitley's coming of age story. She goes to piloting school on Eylot. Her single-minded focus on piloting makes her somewhat of an outcast at school at a time when the school and planet are developing a prejudice against outsiders. After being forced to leave the school she learns more piloting and earns her first class as an employee of Huglelans. She also keeps seeing a ghost ship and her friend Win Ton sends her a gift that leads to lots of problems which she takes to the Delm of Korval.

167. Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (336 p.; 11:48) -- Reread. Fourteenth episode in the Liaden Universe sees Korval transplanted on Surebleak and adjusting it to their Necessities. Theo Waitley has come to the Delm of Korval to solve her problems. She needs help with the Old Tech ship whose captain's key she wears around her neck and with her damaged friend Win Ton. Meanwhile the Department of the Interior suffered a blow but is still determined to wipe Korval from the universe. Theo meets all sorts of family and we get a chance to meet characters we know from the series. Wonderful book.

168. The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton (256 p.) -- Review. 3rd Mace Reid adventure has him searching for the kidnapped daughter of a financial mogul with the help of his girlfriend Kippy and his pack of cadaver dogs. Entertaining mystery with intriguing viewpoint characters including three of the villains of the piece.

169. Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (384 p.; 12:57) -- Reread. Fifteenth Liaden Universe. Theo, Clarence and Bechimo are off trying to explore a trade loop for Shan but run into all sorts of problems because Theo is a nexus of violence, Korval isn't very popular, Bechimo is Old Tech, and the Department of Interior isn't going to go away. This is a busy book that gives glimpses of Daav, Val Con and Miri while concentrating on Theo's relationship with Bechimo.

170. Red on the River by Christine Feehan (448 p.) -- Review. Vienna Mortenson -nurse, head of county search and rescue, and champion poker player - runs into the guy who left her behind while playing in a tournament in Las Vegas. Zale Vizzini - undercover operative - wants Vienna back for keeps this time but needs to keep her alive as someone wants her dead. Too-good-to-be-true characters and psychic powers make this enjoyable but very unrealistic.

171. The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (368 p.; 12:50) -- Reread.

172. For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin (352 p.) -- Review. Great romance. Miranda Barnes who writes a very popular YA fantasy series under a pseudonym is back home in Bard's Rest to write her next book, deal with her mom's health crisis, and take part in the annual Shakespeare Festival. Things are complicated by the reappearance of the man who broke her heart when she was in high school. Great dialog and a wonderful setting.

173. Neogenesis by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (305 p.; 17:17) -- Reread.

174. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (368 p.) -- Review. Florence Day, a ghostwriter for a popular romance author, has lost her belief in romance after a breakup and betrayal by the man she loved. She is behind on turning in her current book because she can't write the ending. Her new edition Benji Andor pressures her. However, a phone call telling her that her beloved father has died of a heart attack sends her back home for his funeral. When Benji Andor's ghost appears it only adds to Florence's grief and confusion. Different sort of romance but very engaging.

175. Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg (241 p.; 6:42) -- Action-packed thriller starring Eve Ronin who is the newest and youngest person in robbery-homicide for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. She and her partner's first case has to do with the murder of a family in Topanga Canyon. The house is a slaughterhouse and the bodies are missing. While a suspect is quickly discovered, finding the evidence to convict him takes a lot longer. Then the twist happens when assumptions are blown up and a hunt for a possible survivor happens in a area where a wildfire is raging. Great characters, fast paced.

176. The Hidden One by Linda Castillo (320 p.) -- Review. Police Chief Kate Burkholder travels to Pennsylvania to help out an old friend when he is accused of murder. Jonas Bowman was Kate's first love, and she still feels guilt about how their relationship ended. His gun is found next to the bones of Bishop Ananiea Stoltzfus who disappeared 18 years earlier. Now Kate has to unravel a cold case and uncover all sorts of secrets if she wants to save her old friend.

177. Oath Sworn by K. N. Banet (354 p.; 9:14) -- Start of a new urban fantasy series with a great main character and intriguing worldbuilding. Jacky Leon is a werecat. When the 11-year-old human daughter of the pack alpha comes begging for protection, Jacky has to agree and vows to keep her safe. Only, the treaty forbids werecats from getting involved in werewolf politics, but the werewolves don't care about the treaty. To save the child, Jacky will have to break the rules.

178. Holy Chow by David Rosenfelt (304 p.) -- Review. Fun episode in the Andy Carpenter series. Andy is defending the stepson of a woman who had adopted a dog from his dog rescue organization. He finds a major conspiracy that will involve the FBI and Homeland Security before it is all solved. Great characters and great dialog.

179. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews (316 p.; 15:32) -- Second in the Edge series focuses on Cerise Mar and William (who costarred in the first book). William is sent to the Mire to recover something for his kingdom. Cerise is the head of her land rich, cash poor family. She is also involved in what William was sent to find but is more concerned with her family's feud with a neighboring family and with the kidnapping of her parents by the villain William is chasing. Great worldbuilding. Lots of graphic violence.

180. Accepting the Lance by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (488 p.; 15:27) -- Reread.

181. Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green (238 p.; 4:56) -- First in the Nightside series combines urban fantasy with noir mystery. Private Investigator John Taylor is hired to find a runaway teenager. Unfortunately, it looks like she's run to the same Nightside Taylor left six years earlier. Now he and his beautiful client are searching the Nightside for the girl and running into Taylor's old friends and enemies.

182. What Lies Beneath by J. G. Hetherton (320 p.) -- Review. Second mystery starring Report Laura Chambers who learns more about her past when an unknown woman is killed and it turns out her last phone call was to Laura. Human trafficking and corrupt cops add excitement to this story.

183. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews (338 p.; 7:01) -- Humorous mystery. This episode has Meg and her fiance Michael refurbishing an old house. Meg is also playing extreme croquet using a neighbor's farm fields for the field. When she discovers a woman killed by a blow from a croquet mallet and discovers she was an old girlfriend of Michael's. she is determined to find out who killed her and why. Fake Civil War battles and developer's plans to build an outlet mall next door to their new home gives Meg quite a pool of suspects. This was a fun mystery.

184. Count to Three by T. R. Ragan (283 p.; 8:28) -- Intense kidnapping thriller. Dani Callahan became a private eye after her 5-year-old daughter Tinsley was kidnapped on her first day of kindergarten. No trace has been found, but Dani has never stopped looking. She works with Quinn whose mother disappeared without a trace. When 17-year-old Ali Cross disappears, and an eyewitness saw her thrown into the back of a van, Dani and Quinn begin investigating along with the 12-year-old witness. Scenes from Ali's point of view as she tries to deal with her psychotic kidnapper are interspersed. The story is filled with tension. I enjoyed the characters.

185. A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe (320 p.) -- Review. Second cozy starring Lexi Jones and her dog Cookie. When a body is found in Dash's backyard and he is arrested for murder, Lexi and her book club go on the case to discover who framed him. Lots of motives and suspects and just the right amount of danger. I liked Lexi and her growing relationship with Detective Chad Berg. Her dog Cookie was also a great character.

186. Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (393 p.; 14:48) -- Reread.

187. Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (416 p.; 15:21) -- Reread.

188. Upgrade by Blake Crouch (352 p.) -- Review. Near future science fiction about the perils of messing around with genes. Logan Ramsay, whose mother was notorious for changing genes in a grasshopper which ended up with over 200 million deaths, environmental catastrophes, and climate changes, works for the Gene Protection Agency until his is hit with a weapon that changes his genes and makes him a sort of Superman. He learns that he and his sister were both upgraded by the mother they thought was dead and who has plans to change all of humanity with the goal of keeping humanity from wiping itself out in the next hundred years. His sister buys in totally, but Logan isn't sure that higher intelligence is the actual solution to the problem and needs to stop his sister from carrying out his mother's plans.

189. Crowbones by Anne Bishop (351 p.; 11:51) -- Reread.

190. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (416 p.) -- Review. Fascinating story about the ups and down of friendships over the course of more than 30 years. Sadie Green and Sam Masur met when she was eleven and he was 12. They bonded over playing computer games while Sam was in the hospital. After what Sam thought of as a betrayal, they didn't speak again for a number of years. They met when she was attending MIT and him Harvard and wrote a computer game together that was a life-changing success. Along with Sam's roommate Marx, they formed a company to produce video games with some successes and some failures along the way. Their friendships also had successes and failures. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and has lots of flashbacks and in-game activities. It was fascinating.

Time to start a new thread. Here's a link to it.