What Are We Reading and Reviewing in January 2021?

Take this advice seriously...stay in a read! Tell us what you're planning on.

Carol's January Reads (My friend turns the pages for me) (Don't forget to check the challenges)
❄️ - ★
❄️Sons of Darkness - Gail Z. Martin - 4★ (Pick A Winner...)
❄️The Blade Between - Sam J. Miller - 2.5★
❄️The Cold, Cold Ground - Adrian McKinty - 3★
❄️Nightcrawlers - Bill Pronzini - 3.5★
❄️The Dark Game - Jonathan Janz - 5★
❄️The Summer Job - Adam Cesare - 3★
❄️The Scandal at the Salty Dog - Josh Lanyon - 5★
❄️Curse of the Pogo Stick - Colin Cotterill - 5★
❄️Natural Predators - Neil Plakcy- 4.5★
❄️Bad Company - K.A. Mitchell - 3★
❄️Galaxies and Oceans - N. R. Walker- 3.5★
❄️The Mermaid Murders - Josh Lanyon - 4.5★
❄️Untouchable - Robert Innes - 4★
❄️The Nightmare Room - Chris Sorensen - 4.5★
❄️The Hungry Ones - Chris Sorensen - 5★
❄️The Tent -Kealan Patrick Burke - 4.5★
❄️A Gathering Storm- Rachel Hore - 3★
❄️A Tangled Truth - Max Walker - 5★
❄️Into The Wolves Den - Jon Athan - 0★
❄️Murder House - Jordan Castillo Price - 5★
❄️Beyond The Sea - Keira Andrews - 2.5★
❄️Love Over Scotland - Alexander McCall Smith - 4★
❄️The Wife and The Widow - Christian White - 4.5★
❄️The Witches - Roald Dahl - 2.5★
❄️Now and Then - Robert B. Parker - 4★
❄️Born in Ice - Nora Roberts - 3★
❄️Murder in The Garden - Faith Martin - 3★
❄️Winter Ball - Amy Lane - 4.5★
❄️Summer Lessons - 4.5★
❄️Fall Through Spring - Amy Lane - 4★
❄️The Beautiful Things Shoppe - Phillip William Stover- 5★
❄️Summer Sons - Lee Mandelo - 4.5★
❄️Hope on the Rocks - Annabeth Albert - 4.5★
❄️Ghostly Paws - Leighann Dobbs - 3★
❄️A Good Dog - Jon Katz - 4★
❄️London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency - Kate MacDougall - 5★
❄️Sin & Seduction - Allison Cassatta - 2★
❄️Bailey's Story: A Puppy Tale - Bruce Cameron - 4.5★
❄️Animals Don't Blush - David R. Gross 3★
❄️Eugene and The Box of Nails- Jaime Samms- 5★
❄️Sidecar - Amy Lane - 5+★
❄️The Harvest - Sara Clancy - 4★

January Reading Plan

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

💠Crimson Lake - Candice Fox - 4.5 Stars - 1/14/22 - set in Queensland, Australia
Dark Night - Paige Shelton
💠 Daughter of Sherlock Holmes - Leonard Goldberg - 3.5 Stars - 1/7/22 - set in London, England
Dog On It - Spencer Quinn
💠 Girl from Widow Hills - Megan Miranda - 4 Sars - 1/14/22 - set in Kentucky
In the Deep - Loreth Ann White
Iron Horse - Edward Marston
💠 Little Black Lies - Sandra Block - 4 Stars - 1/8/22 - set in New York
💠 Lonely Hearts - Lisa Gray - 4 Stars - 1/1/22 - set in California
Save Her Soul - Lisa Regan
💠 Silent in the Grave - Deanna Rayburn - 1/5/22 - set in England
💠 Secrets Never Die - Melinda Leigh -4.5 Stars - 1/2/22 - set in New York
Solitude of Wolverines - Alice Henderson
💠 Whiteout - Ken Follett - 4 Stars - 1/4/22
Wild Water - Jan Ruth

Other

Amulet - Ann Bennett
💠 Book of Two Ways - Jodi Picoult - 4.5 Stars - 1/3/22 - set in Egypt & Boston, Massachusetts
Daughters of Palatine Hill - Phyllis T. Smith
Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole
💠 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury - 4 Stars - 1/6/22
💠 High Tide in Tucson - Barbara Kingsolver - 4 Stars - 1/9/22 - set in Tucson
Miss Benson's Beetle - Rachel Joyce
💠 Moby Duck - Donovan Hohn - 2 Stars - 1/9/22 - out in the Pacific Ocean
💠Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly - 4 Stars - 1/16/22 - set in New York's Adirondack Mountains
💠On the Beach - Nevil Shute - 5 Stars - 1/15/22 - set in Melbourne, AustraliaJ
Plot - Jean Hanff Korelitz
💠 Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir - 5 Stars - 1/10/22 - Out in the Universe
💠Storm Sister - Lucinda Riley - 4 Stars - 1/12/22 - set in Norway
💠Virgin River - Robyn Carr - 4 Stars - 1/13/22 - set in California
Women in the Castle - Jessica Shattuck

Summer Sons - Lee Mandelo - (Tennessee)
4.5★
Andrew and Eddie did everything together, best friends bonded more deeply than brothers, until Eddie left Andrew behind to start his graduate program at Vanderbilt. Six months later, only days before Andrew was to join him in Nashville, Eddie dies of an apparent suicide. He leaves Andrew a horrible inheritance: a roommate he doesn’t know, friends he never asked for, and a gruesome phantom that hungers for him. As Andrew searches for the truth of Eddie’s death, he uncovers the lies and secrets left behind by the person he trusted most, discovering a family history soaked in blood and death. Whirling between the backstabbing academic world where Eddie spent his days and the circle of hot boys, fast cars, and hard drugs that ruled Eddie’s nights, the walls Andrew has built against the world begin to crumble. And there is something awful lurking, waiting for those walls to fall.

Let me start by saying that this is NOT going to be for everyone. The descriptions are a bit misleading as to what the reader is in for. You think it’s a horror story with monsters and such... and it is, to some extent...but the reader has to separate the ghost in the room from the one in Andrew’s head. One of the scariest scenes in the entire book is when Andrew feels the ice-cold foot crawl into bed with him on his first night home. He doesn’t dare look, but he knows deep in his bones that it’s Eddie. This is also a story that deeply hinges on the exploration of grief, loss, denial, and a hunt for truth set against an atmospheric backdrop of the deep south. The book also attempts to show the darker side of academia and privilege. A lot to wrap up in one story, but it fleshes into a memorable and excellent ghost story, on both physical and metaphorical levels. You won’t always like the main characters, nor will their behavior set well, but it will produce several good cases of goosebumps long after the final page is turned.

The Tent - Kealan Patrick Burke - (Ohio}
4.5★
The perfect getaway...The perfect place to hide...Hocking Hills, Ohio is an oasis for campers, hikers, nature enthusiasts, and for those who just want to get away and lose themselves in the wild. And as long as you follow your guide's advice and stay within the permitted areas, you can expect to survive the night. Because deep within the dark woods, something insidious awaits, something few have ever seen, something ancient, unknowable, and insatiable. If you go down to these woods today, you won't live to see the sunrise.

This is a novella but a good little terrifying, short story. What begins as a character study of a man who is in the last throes of screwing up his life, slowly turns serious as the man, his wife, and young son are lost in the woods while camping. Kealan builds the tension using small details. You can feel the man's discomfort, both physical and emotional, as events spiral downward. Then, just as you're starting to think that this story is all about internal conflict, the man stumbles across something in the woods...and from here the situation turns ugly... fast. Just when you think things are perhaps going to turn out okay... think again. This actually reminded me a great deal of early Stephen King...back when he was writing more short stories than full length novels. This is one very weird, creepy tale the outcome, of which, I would have never seen coming when I started reading about a family camping trip.

Murder House - Jordan Castillo Price - (California)
PsyCop series Book #10
5★
Victor Bayne has survived demons, ghosts, and repeaters. But can he survive a murder house? Few people would willingly spend the night in a murder house, but Victor Bayne is up for the challenge. He’ll do whatever it takes to get a look at his permanent record, including going undercover in a townhouse where a recent death took place. Why not? There was no foul play involved, and as a psychic medium, he’d know if a ghost was creeping up on him. The whole “murder house” claim is just a product of a kid’s overactive imagination, and he’s confident he has the situation under control. Until he gets a load of the smell. Turns out, undercover work is a lot tougher than it looks. Vic misses Jacob something fierce. The subject of his assignment is a real piece of work. His partner has definitely got something to hide…and then the investigation takes a truly bizarre turn. What happens if the murder house reveals itself to be more than just a schoolyard rumor?

This series just keep getting better and this one was, in a word.... amazing! It may be my favorite of the entire series, which I have read more than once. Jacob is not in this story very much. That is unless you count Vic thinking about him... missing him...bumping into him. Jacob is ever present, just not physically. This is Vic’s first undercover mission. The mission itself is not crazy creepy or weird...I guess “odd” is the best way to describe it. As always, one of the best things is being inside Vic’s head...and Vic’s undercover “head” is priceless!! Then we have the BIG SCENE when Vic goes home. The end of the book brings us back around to the mystery of Vic’s past and sets us up perfectly for the next book. I love physically holding a book and turning the pages. There's just something about that those sooths my "reader's soul". Occasionally I can do e-books or audio books, and this was the audio version. I’ve always thought that along with a really good author to tell the story a book is often made or broke by the person that lends their voice to tell the story. I have to give credit to Gomez Pugh for a fantastic narration.

Ghostly Paws - Leighann Dobbs - (New Hampshire)
Mystic Notch series Book #1
3★
Middle age can be murder ...At least that's how it seems to former crime journalist, Wilhelmina Chance, whose near-fatal accident has given her a strange side effect ... she sees ghosts. After a messy divorce sends her fleeing back to her hometown of Mystic Notch, nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Willa finds herself haunted by the tenacious ghost of the town librarian who insists Willa solve her murder. Luckily, she has lots of help, including a quirky cast of small-town characters, the cat she's inherited from her grandmother, and her best friend, Pepper, who claims her herbal teas can work magic. But just when Willa thinks she's discovered who the killer is, she finds out that things are not what they seem in Mystic Notch, and the case takes a strange turn that has Willa adding even some of her long-time friends to her suspect list. Can Willa find the real killer in time to keep the magical balance in Mystic Notch on the side of good, or will evil prevail?

It was by no means a Nobel prize winner, but it served a good purpose...a book with an animal on the cover or an animal in the story. It had both. I'm not a cozy mystery enthusiast, but a mystery with a cat, or any other animal for that matter...can't be all bad. The main drawback was that the main character is portrayed as an idiot wandering around a New Hampshire town and almost getting herself killed, only to be saved by the magical intervention of her cat which had more brains than she did...and whose "magic" she refuses to believe in. UHM...she sees ghost, hears her cat speaking to her...but doesn't believe in magic??? In spite of this...the cat was cute...the book served a useful purpose...and I liked the title...so 3 stars.

Untouchable - Robert Innes (England)
Blake Harte series Book #1
4★
Harrison Baxter lives on a farm with his parents, on the outskirts of the village of Harmschapel. It’s picturesque, idyllic and tranquil – but Harrison is far from happy. His parent’s marriage is strained to say the least and on top of that, his boyfriend, Daniel, has been mentally and physically abusing him for years. After he finds himself with one bruise too many, Harrison has had enough. But when he plucks up the courage to finally end his violent relationship, Harrison’s life is changed forever when Daniel is found murdered in the most bizarre circumstances. Detective Sergeant Blake Harte has moved to Harmschapel after his own relationship ended in tatters. But moving to a quiet village after working his way up the ranks in a city brings its own set of problems and Blake soon finds himself at odds with new colleagues who aren’t used to his style of policing. But when he is called upon to investigate the mysterious and impossible murder at Halfmile Farm, Blake finds himself facing the most challenging case of his career. So how can Daniel have been shot in a locked shed that nobody could possibly have escaped from? Is anybody really “untouchable”?

The story could easily be a stand-alone, but the town and its people are all set up for repeat performances as the series goes forward. To get an idea of the lead character, try to imagine Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple as a thirty-year-old heartbroken gay man, and you’ll get the idea. If you like trying to solve the crime, you’ll find that this is a clever locked room mystery...and good luck solving this one. I did find all the characters a tad too abrupt and almost unlikable. I’m going to go for another one, but hope that Harte especially, will become a bit more centered and calmer.

A Sharp Solitude by Christine Carbo
4 ★

The murdered body of journalist Anne Marie is discovered in a remote region near the Canadian border. She had been writing an article about a canine research program and was last seen interviewing a man named Reeve Landon, whose chocolate Lab was one of the subjects of the piece. Now he's the prime suspect. He calls FBI agent Ali Paige, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter, for help even though she’s not officially assigned to the case. Ali has only one objective in mind: to help Reeve so that her daughter is saved from the pain of abandonment she endured as a child.

Ali and Reeve had very difficult childhoods and now they have a lot of difficulty with close relationships. This was well done and really drew me in to care about them. The story had a slow buildup to develop these characters but the pace picked up later and kept me turning the pages. It also kept me guessing as to whether Reeve was the killer or not. This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Carbo, which also focused a lot on relationships. I like the way she makes them understandable and hopeful. I’ll read more by her.

Galaxies and Oceans N.R. Walker - (Australia)
3.5★
Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather's telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him. Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He's content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick's head. Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else. Aubrey never expected to be happy. Between Aubrey's love of the stars and Patrick's love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

Thus far I have not ever been disappointed in anything this author has written and this story is certainly not an exception. It speaks about two lost men finding their way in uncharted waters following the stars. Aubrey escapes his past and his abusive ex by pretending to be lost to a bushfire. He follows the stars to a secluded island, to a small town to settle in peace. He just wants a life without pain and maybe a small chance at happiness. Now we have Patrick who lives in that same small town. He's lived there for years now tending to the lighthouse on the shore of the Southern Ocean. His solitary life is lonely and sad...spent grieving a man he has lost forever. But now he starts to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time when a stranger shows up in his town. The two broken men in this story find peace, redemption, and happiness in each other. It is beautifully written how they work through their baggage of past traumas to open up to something rather beautiful and pure. The small gestures, the slow but powerful pace of their falling for each other was simple but all-consuming at once. There is something beautiful in the simplicity of this normalcy.

A Good Dog - Jon Katz
4★
From the moment Katz and Orson meet, when the dog springs from his traveling crate at Newark airport and panics the baggage claim area, their relationship is deep, stormy, and loving. At two years old, Katz’s new companion is a great herder of school buses, a scholar of refrigerators, but a dud at herding sheep. Everything Katz attempts– obedience training, herding instruction, a new name, acupuncture, herb and alternative therapies–helps a little but not enough, and not for long. “Like all border collies and many dogs,” Katz writes, “he needed work. I didn’t realize for some time I was the work Orson would find.”>/i>

I have trouble reading books like this. I have devoted so much of my life to animals and have been "owned" by several very special dogs and cats. Like so many animal stories, this one is compelling and sad, yet it's peaceful at the end. The author made a difficult choice, which all pet owners face in time, sometimes prematurely. Orson was one lucky dog to have met Jon Katz and the best part of the whole book is that NO DOGS DIE! A really great read for any animal lover.

Hope On The Rocks - Annabeth Albert
Rainbow Cove series Book #4
4.5★
Doctor Quinn Strauss is beloved by his small-town patients. He almost never drinks, especially not alone on a weeknight. But he’s heartbroken over an unexpected reminder of exactly how much his bad breakup has cost him. And the sexy ginger bartender keeps making him special drinks that go down a little too easy. Bartender Adam Ringer can tell when someone’s hurting, and the heroic local doctor is practically radiating pain. Adam’s a natural caretaker and can’t help but spring to Quinn’s rescue. And when the drunk and rambling Quinn reveals a mutual sexy interest, Adam’s other instincts are intrigued. He can’t wait for Quinn to sober up. When Adam offers Quinn a chance to explore secret desires, he’s long repressed, Quinn finds himself saying yes to a summer fling with the younger man. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan, but amid all their steamy encounters and intimate exchanges, a deep, emotional bond is forged. Summer is nearly over. Real life pressures are mounting. Can they grow enough to find a way to forever?

The book is better than the description makes it sound...although I have read better by this author. One of the things I like about Annabeth Albert's books is that the people almost always have a happy ending no matter how much turmoil they have to go through to get there. There is a really short, bleak, moment, but because, they are grownups, they communicate and work it out. This type of challenge is realistic, especially as it’s at that point that they have to decide if it was really a summer fling or the beginning of something more. This is part of a series, but it would work well as a standalone

The Blade Between - Sam J. Miller - (New York)
2.5★
Ronan Szepessy promised himself he’d never return to Hudson. The sleepy upstate town was no place for a restless gay photographer. But his father is ill and New York City’s distractions have become too much for him. He hopes that a quick visit will help him recharge. Ronan reconnects with two friends from high school: Dom, his first love, and Dom’s wife, Attalah. The three former misfits mourn what their town has become—overrun by gentrifiers and corporate interests. With friends and neighbors getting evicted in mass and a mayoral election coming up, Ronan and Attalah craft a plan to rattle the newcomers and expose their true motives. But in doing so, they unleash something far more mysterious and uncontainable. Hudson has a rich, proud history and, it turns out, the real-estate developers aren’t the only forces threatening its well-being: the spirits undergirding this once-thriving industrial town are enraged. Ronan’s hijinks have overlapped with a bubbling up of hate and violence among friends and neighbors, and everything is spiraling out of control. Ronan must summon the very best of himself to shed his own demons and save the city he once loathed.

The setting for this story is the author’s hometown. It has to be one of the weirdest things I have ever read. The character of Roanan wakes up on a train and realizes he's back in his hometown of Hudson, NY, an old seafaring city. Ronan has a few problems. HA ! Do you think? He feels a lot of hate toward the “outsiders,” who have been buying up all the real estate and driving the long-time residents out.” Ronan’s high school friend. Dom, is still in town and is now a police officer and married to another high school friend, Attala. Everybody seems to have a plot and lots of secrets. Actually, there's hate floating around everywhere. Now here is where it really gets weird. Ronan doesn't realize it at first, but he can see dead people and one of them is telling him that he has to spread the hate around in order for the outsiders to leave. Even weirder now... Are you ready? He has visions of whales floating through the sky speaking to him through his dead friend, Katch. This is where I nearly stopped reading. There was just too much to keep up with. So many different characters all doing so many different things.... sometimes all at the same time. I believe the clincher was the whole idea of slaughtered whales from hundreds of years ago becoming mystical and people running around the city killing each other with harpoons, while wearing whale head coverings. This was just too far-fetched for even for me.

London's Number One Dog Walking Agency -Kate MacDougall - (England)
5★
In 2006, Kate MacDougall was working a safe but dull job at the venerable auction house Sotheby’s in London. After a clumsy accident nearly destroyed a precious piece of art, she quit Sotheby’s and set up her own dog-walking company. Kate knew little about dogs and nothing about business, and no one thought being a professional dog walker was a good use of her university degree. Nevertheless, Kate embarked upon an entirely new and very much improvised career walking some of the city’s many pampered pooches, branding her company “London's Number One Dog Walking Agency.”

The book is filled with humor. We meet quirky clients with odd demands...dogs that are also a bit quirky and pampered...as it should be. Seems these four-legged friends only drink Evian and want a bedtime story. That made me laugh because we had a dog that loved to be read to and even learned to bring us the book. My daughter learned to read at the age of 3 just so she could read "The Saggy Baggy Elephant" to her "furry sister", Snoopy. The book was probably read at least a million plus times before the cover gave up the ghost and died. There was even some of Kate's customers who even had pet cams to monitor Kate's behavior.... certainly not their dogs'. The book does have moments of melancholy. It's never lost on MacDougall that many clients are more prosperous and settled than she is. Her mother means well, but she doesn't help when she advises her to get a "proper vocation". To make matters worse Kate's boyfriend and eventual husband, Finley, doesn't like dogs...not even a little bit. He eventually learns...if not to fully love them at least to keep his mouth firmly closed on the matter. Kate is a great character...and as you would expect, the dogs are the stars of the book. Exceptional...even at their worse. The book gets a bit repetitive, but the writing is always clever and funny. I loved when she describes a client's house with hand-painted window boxes and a bondage shop around the corner...but priceless was the husky "who looked uncannily like Rod Stewart". Smart and observant dog...I always shared that same view:)

The Cold, Cold, Ground - Adrian McKinty - (Ireland)
Sean Duffy series Book #1
3★
Northern Ireland, spring 1981. Hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman’s suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things—and people—aren’t always what they seem. Detective Sergeant Duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. It’s no easy job—especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the IRA but was last seen discussing business with someone from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. Add to this the fact that, as a Catholic policeman, it doesn’t matter which side he’s on, because nobody trusts him, and Sergeant Duffy really is in a no-win situation. This is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles—and of a cop treading a thin, thin line.

My grandparents left Ireland in 1926 at the start of The Troubles...the black shadow that covered the beautiful green isle. This story begins in 1981...55 years after my grands left...but seems not much had changed. Det Sean Duffy, an Irishman and a cop working for the Royal Ulster Constabulary doesn’t ever feel that he is ever really safe in his Protestant neighborhood. He looks for bombs under his car and always watches his back. In the course of his workday, he finds two gay men murdered hours apart with their right hands sawed off, supposedly marking them as informers. If that’s not enough, a girl is found hanged in the woods. She, we learn, is the ex-wife of one of several Irish hunger strikers. At first it seems that a serial killer of gay men is on the loose having nothing to do with political identity. Oh, but hold your horses– Duffy discovers one of the victims is actually the head of an ultra-secret IRA division. All of a sudden event have become way more complicated and confusing. Detective Duffy is an interesting character, that mainly works on gut instinct and sometimes without putting much thought into his actions. He ignores orders to stay away from the case at considerable personal risk. It quickly becomes a murky situation with a lot being tolerated in the name of being on the "right" side of the conflict. Anyone making too many waves can be dispensed with. This book relates a reminder that there are always two sides of every conflict...not all is true, or right, or wrong...not in love and not in war, no matter which side you are on.

The Nightmare Room - Chris Sorensen -(New York)
Messy Man series Book #1
4.5★
New York audiobook narrator Peter Larson and his wife Hannah head to his hometown of Maple City to help Peter's ailing father and to put a recent tragedy behind them. Though the small, Midwestern town seems the idyllic place to start afresh, Peter and Hannah will soon learn that evil currents flow beneath its surface. They move into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town—a house purchased by Peter's father at auction and kept secret until now—and start to settle into their new life. But as Peter sets up his recording studio in a small basement room, disturbing things begin to occur—mysterious voices haunt audio tracks, malevolent shadows creep about the house. And when an insidious presence emerges from the woodwork, Peter must face old demons in order to save his family and himself.

The opening prologue is horrifying. In fact, all of the scenes with the little boy are terrifying and heartbreaking. If you are a horror story enthusiasts'...this is exactly what you want in a horror story. The one thing that I believe would have made it better for me was if the adults had been more fearful. Finding these events taking place in your life surely should evoke, if not actual terror, at least a higher degree of fear. Chris Sorensen should have taken the emotions of the little boy and applied them to the adult characters. What we have is a haunted house...but it is so much more than that. The suspense and anticipation kept me flipping the pages. There were plenty of chills, thrills, and bumps in the night. First, I feared for Peter, then Hannah, who would not let him face IT alone. The story seemed familiar.... but it didn’t stay that way. I loved the spin Chris Sorensen gave “The Nightmare Room” and the ending...very well done.

Sin & Seduction - Allison Cassatta - (Louisianna)
2★

Dorian Grant is king of the New Orleans underworld, but he isn’t mafia and doesn’t appreciate the assumption. He’s simply a crude businessman anyone in his right mind would think twice about screwing over. Life in the Big Easy is all about sin, and violent, short-tempered Dorian has committed them all. But not all New Orleans sins leave a bad taste in the mouth, as Dorian discovers the night a man stage-named Sweet Heat dances into his life at a club called Sin & Seduction.

I somewhat liked the character of Jensen and his best friend, Jason. That was all I found likeable about the story. Dorian Grant was essentially a thick-skulled thug who happened to wear an Armani suit. Plain and simple. Call his actions anything you want but that is what he was. Jensen was 200% better off dancing at the club, Sin & Seduction than he ever was in Grant's big fancy mansion. The story tried to make us believe that Grant was like he was because of his father and his business, but he was like he was because he CHOSE to be. He never made any attempt to be anything different, even when professing love for Jensen. Grant got what he wanted in the end, and I guess Jensen did also but no matter what spin was put on it...he was still a monster. I have read a lot of M/M romances and know that they usually have a better outcome and a better story line, but not this one. It's going to be a long time before I can shake the feeling of reading about a man and his abusive, killer lover, that called what they were experiencing. love. If this is this author's best offering, then no more for me.

Murder in the Garden - Faith Martin - (England)
DI Hillary Greene series Book #9
3★
Edward Philpott is found bludgeoned to death with his own spade in his beautiful garden. He lived with his daughter Rachel and his two grandchildren. DI Hillary Greene’s only lead is a rival from the village flower show who used to argue with the victim about the size of their vegetables. But what dark secrets from the past and present does this village hold? Hillary has returned to work after the slaying of her boss and is desperate to track down his murderer. His pregnant widow is even more determined to get revenge, but will she go too far? Can Hillary cope with two complex investigations full of extreme emotions, one of which is very close to home?

It was okay and it served the purpose that I got it for...another challenge. There were far too many side issues in the book and too little about the main crime. DI Greene’s relationships with the other characters seemed to be the main focus of the writer. Poor dead as a doornail, Edward... was almost forgotten and DI Hillary didn’t appear too interested finding out who killed him. Maybe I’m being too critical since I am not a cozy mystery fan. There have been very few of this genre that I have read that can say I truly liked or ever wanted to continue with...the exception being Josh Lanyon’s Scruples and Scramble (Pirate Cove) series. Anyone that really likes cozy mysteries will more than likely find things to like about this series that I just couldn’t see.

Bailey's Story: A Puppy Tale - Bruce Cameron
4.5★
Every dog has work to do. Every dog has a purpose. When Bailey meets eight-year-old Ethan, he quickly figures out his purpose: to play with the boy, to explore the Farm during summers with the boy, and to tidy the boy's dishes by licking them clean (only when Mom isn't watching). But Bailey soon learns that life isn't always so simple―that sometimes-bad things happen, and that there can be no greater purpose than to protect the boy he loves.

Just look at that little face and tell me you could resist him anything he wanted!!! My little friend Jessica brought this home from her school library and immediately had to read it. It should be read by everyone that loves a dog, has ever loved a dog, or has been loved by a dog. I fit all three of those categories and Jessica does also. I think she's more drawn to that cute little face than the actual story. I told her about my friend here at Library Thing that just lost her little dog, Oliver and has started a Memorial Challege to Oliver on another site. One of the categories is to read a book or books, with a dog in the story or on the cover, to which Jessica immediately said, 'this is for Oliver". I believe that Mr. Cameron would have loved Oliver. This is just the excerpt of Bailey's story from the book, A Dog's Purpose. It is not a new story...but it's done on a better level for children and leaves out some of the sadder parts...although there are still some. This author has a genuine gift for putting to voice the innocence we see in dogs....and what the dog sees in we humans.

Sons of Darkness - Gail Z. Martin (Morgan Brice) - (Pennsylvania)
Night Vision series Book #1
4★
We are the Night Vigil. The run-down convenience store, the all-night diner, the last-ditch shelter, or seedy motel, the redneck bar and the emergency room, and all the other places open on the graveyard shift—they’re Hell’s hunting grounds, full of easy marks and desperate souls, prey for evil things out there in the dark. We keep the Vigil, looking for the ones who can still be saved, the ones who aren’t too far gone. We’re the misfits and the muck-ups, unwanted by Heaven or Hell, given one last chance to atone for all the mistakes and missed chances, the pain we’ve caused others and ourselves, the good things we were afraid to do, and the bad things we embraced with open arms. We work the night shift because that’s when evil walks. We’re the clerk in the all-night liquor store, the server in the 24-hour diner, the long-haul trucker who only drives at night, the counter person in the convenience store, the dog shift nurse. We recognize the evil when we see it, and we use the skills we honed with blood and fire to stop it, whatever it takes. Unfinished business ties us to the mortal world, to make atonement, find absolution, satisfy retribution, get things right. You won’t find a sorrier group of halfway house heroes. No illusions left—about ourselves, humanity, or what’s really out there in the darkness. Just a purpose, to go down fighting the good fight. Because this is our last chance. One final chance to make it right, the thin red line of humanity against the evil that goes bump in the night, your best hope to make it through the hour of the wolf.

“When a series of disappearances, suicides, and vengeful spirits cause havoc and death along a remote interstate highway, demon-hunting ex-priest Travis Dominick teams up with former special ops soldier and monster-hunter Brent Lawson to end the problem with extreme prejudice.”
I love this author’s "Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, and Kings of the Mountain" series. I picked this one up because I recognized the characters of Travis and Brent that have made cameo appearances in those other series that I can't get enough of and have read over and over again. That’s one of the big attractions for me with Gail Martin/Morgan Brice book series...we never lose track of the characters we have learned to love in the other books. I had some of the same issues with this one that I had with some others that I was expecting more of. The plot meandered, and there was a lot of detail about research and rituals that added weight but not especially interest. Danny, Bret’s ghost brother, apparently had several conversations with Travis, but they were only mentioned in a sentence at the end and never detailed. That was frustrating, as I felt that the relationships between Danny, Brent and Travis, would have added to the story. Danny obviously had lots to tell in spite of being dead. I love this author and I already had formed an interest in the two hunters so I will continue to explore this series. Perhaps it will come to mean as much as the others that I mentioned. I’m giving it 4 stars because of the author. Gail Z. Martin/Morgan Brice has given me hours and hours of reading pleasure, and so many wonderful characters that have helped to enrich these series. I listened to the audio book of this one, and even though the narrator had a great voice, he read very fast and didn’t give the characters enough of their individual voices. For me the individual voices of the different characters do so much to make the story more enjoyable.

Spirits and Sourdough by Bailey Cates
#10 Magical Bakery Mystery
c. 2022
3 *s

Katie Lightfoot, co-owner of Honeybee Bakery in Savannah, GA, is preparing for Halloween. She and some friends decide to go on a Ghost Tour. Unfortunately, their guide sees a ghost of a recently dead woman and has trouble dealing with it. The guide tells Katie that the ghost demands that Katie find its murderer. Katie is used to the paranormal, as she is a hereditary hedgewitch. But, Katie's thoughts are on more important things. Her new husband recently lost his spirit guide, a leprechaun named Connor. Katue has plans to try to find Connor on Halloween when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. It was an ok read. I have been waiting a year for this novel to be published, but I am disappointed. It doesn't have the action or energy of previous entries. It just seems to plod along, not making much use of the interesting characters which have developed along with the series. I hope the next book is better, as this was simply "meh..".

#3 - has the "Ice" in the title

Born In Ice - Nora Roberts - (Ireland)
Born in Ice Trilogy Book #2
3★
Brianna Concannon is the kind of innkeeper who doesn’t mind the harsh winters of Ireland—and the empty bed-and-breakfast that comes with them. But this year, a famous American author needs a quiet place to stay while writing his next book. A charmer whose easy smiles mask a guarded past, Grayson Thane plans to spend the cold winter alone. But his lovely landlady adds a complication he never expected. She’s exactly what he’s looking for in his heroine. And soon Grayson and Brianna will learn that sometimes fate has a plan of its own. Sometimes, fire can be born in ice.

I loved both the hero and the heroine in this book from the start. The heroine, Brianna, is the peacemaker in the family. She has always tried to smooth over difficulties, but this book shows how she has been affected by the discord between her parents and the resulting familial difficulties. Despite, or perhaps because of this, Brianna has sought to make a peaceful domestic atmosphere that she has translated into her small business of her inn. We learn the secrets in her past which result her re-evaluating her life. Into that disruption comes Gray who pushes Brianna from her safe space. Gray is a man who is so scarred by his past, yet he has built a great life, but with few personal connections. He sees this as a kind of freedom, but he is challenged by Brianna and the town where she lives. A man who insists that he will not stay. When he starts an affair, he might seem callous, but Gray is so open and honest and caring that you understand him as a troubled individual rather than the jerk he sometimes come across as. Nora Roberts descriptions of the people and the small Irish village is like taking a trip to the Emerald Isle.

His & Hers by Alice Feeney
3.5 ★

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn't telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

The story was mostly entertaining despite some disturbing parts of sexual abuse. Anna and Jack aren’t completely likeable but did evoke sympathy some of the time. There were numerous surprises and suspense and a creepy killer’s voice as I listened on audio. It did keep me guessing as to who the killer was. In the end, it wasn’t really plausible but still a rather fun read.

The Summer Job - Adam Cesare - (Massachusetts)
3★
Massive nights, picturesque days: there is nothing Claire doesn't love about her summer job in Mission, Massachusetts. Claire is just trying to keep her head down and start a new life after burning out in the city, but those kids out in the woods seem like they throw awesome ragers... It's only once she's in too deep that Claire discovers the real tourist trade that keeps the town afloat, it's then that her soul-searching in Mission becomes a fight for her life.

When you read a Adam Cesare novel, you almost always end up with something very unique. Adam Cesare is an outstanding storyteller. I truly enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the world of the town of Mission. So why te 4 instead of 5-star rating? Please bear with me here, and I try to explain without rewriting the book. Claire is out of college and has broken up with her boyfriend, she is currently broke and jobless, so she lets her roommate Allison talk her into applying as "guest liaison" at a hotel in a small town two hours remote of a major city. Allison drives Claire to the hotel where Claire is quickly hired. After being abandoned by Allison, Claire settles into life in the small town of Mission. A town where one group of killers based in the hotel are out to get another group of psychos based in the woods. A war that Claire has a ring-side seat to watch. Here are my problems with the story. The reason for the war was never really explained. The ending made it more confusing because while one side won the war, the final chapter implied that a whole new war had started. There were several events that just didn't feel right: Claire seems nonchalant about too much. In the end, I chose to focus on the thing I always enjoy about this author...his strong writing that always keeps me entertained the entire time rather than the plot holes and unexplained events.

A Tangled Truth - Max Walker - (New York)
Stonewall Investigations series Book #3
5★
Liam Wolfe isn't having the best of days. He's being falsely accused of things he'd never even think of doing and is now facing the loss of his career because of it. He has an idea of who's behind the attempt at assassinating his character but can't put the pieces together by himself. Mark Masters isn't having any better of a time. He's sitting in his office at Stonewall Investigations, getting work done, when his boyfriend of a year walks in with the sole goal of breaking up with him. He's blindsided by the development and thinks not much else can surprise him. He was very wrong. Moments after the breakup, Liam walks into Mark's office looking for help and a connection that had been lost for years suddenly reignites. As childhood best friends, Mark and Liam were inseparable. As adults, they'll come to learn not much has changed. With a second chance on the horizon, Mark and Liam explore something that fear had cut them off from as kids. They'll do it while working together to unravel the truth behind Liam's case, risking everything they've regained in the process.

This is the third book in the Stonewall Investigation series, and it may be my favorite in the series. This time we get to meet Mark Masters, a Detective at Stonewall Investigations. Mark’s boyfriend has just broken up with him, and in walks a new client, Liam Wolfe. Liam and Mark are childhood best friends that lost contact and find each other, by chance, 16 years later. This makes for a really sweet basis for their friendship to springboard eventually to love. The story is filled with excitement, lots of drama, a mystery that gets solved, as well as a beautiful love story. Could we have asked for anymore? This quote from the book pretty much sets the stage for this warm, sweet story of two friends who become much more. "I was relaxed and happy because I was looking into a pair of eyes, I had been missing all my life, except I never realized it until I had looked into them again for the first time in years. It had been such a dormant yearning. Something that would influence the majority of my dreams.” You may want to grab some Kleenex, just to be on the safe side

The Dark Game- Jonathan Janz
5★
Ten writers are selected for a summer-long writing retreat with the most celebrated and reclusive author in the world. Their host is the legendary Roderick Wells. Handsome, enigmatic, and fiendishly talented, Wells promises to teach his pupils about writing, about magic, about the untapped potential that each of them possesses. Most of all, he plans to teach them about the darkness in their hearts. The writers think they are signing up for a chance at riches and literary prestige. But they are really entering the twisted imagination of a deranged genius, a lethal contest pitting them against one another in a struggle for their sanity and their lives. They have entered into Roderick Wells’s most brilliant and horrible creation...The Dark Game.

There is a wide and varied cast of characters, but I didn’t find myself losing track of who’s who or disliking the number of perspectives; if anything, it was intriguing to watch the story-telling style change as the players began to exit the game. And believe me...they do exit quickly. The story’s action picks up early and never lets up. A word of warning: If you get a letter in the mail that begins with, “Mr. Roderick Wells invites you...”, just throw it away. Don’t read the rest. Don’t consider it for even a moment, and most importantly of all... DO NOT RESPOND!!!.

Nightcrawlers - Bill Pronzini - (California)
A Nameless Detective Novel
3.5★
Things were quiet in Nameless' San Francisco agency, and his partner, Tamara, was itching to get back to work. A deadbeat father needed to be found, and Tamara needed to do some fieldwork, so she took off for his last known address. When Tamara goes missing, Nameless feels a sinking in his gut: A few years ago, he had been kidnapped and left to die in a cabin in the woods, and something about Tamara's disappearance echoes too loudly. When he discovers the house, she had investigated and sees the words "taking us to a house in the wood" scrawled on a wall, the echo becomes thunderous. Now it's a race against time, and Nameless is already late.

Don’t worry...it’s not a novel about a bunch of killer worms. The idea is that after dark, the slimiest people crawl out from under the rocks where they hide from the daylight to indulge in dark dreams and visions that involve savaging the others...like nightcrawlers. Get it??? This book is basically a compilation of stories from the Nameless Detective Agency that have been blended together. Russ Dancer, a dying hack author, has commissioned Nameless... (I'm still not quite sure where the whole 'Nameless' thing came from. He does have an actual name...it’s Bill), to carry out his last wish ...to give a mysterious package to an old flame. Investigator Jake Runyon tries to help his estranged son, after his son's partner is a victim of a brutal gay-bashing....and Nameless's workaholic junior partner, Tamara Corbin, stumbles onto a kidnapping while on a stakeout. The three main characters are well-done although not particularly distinctive, or unfortunately...even memorable...except of course for Nameless. The book pretty much stumbles along until Tamara disappears. I've read other books by this author but I'm not sure if I want to devote more reading time to this series.

Nighty Nightmares - James Howe
Bunnicula series Book #4
2.5★
THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.... Are Harold, Howie, and Chester simply lost in the woods with Dawg, their strange new friend? Or have they been lured away from their campsite intentionally, leaving the Monroes at the mercy of evil spirits with mayhem on their minds? Lulling Dawg to sleep with a bedtime story may be their only hope of escaping -- but is the hare-raising tale of the origins of Bunnicula, the vampire bunny, really a bedtime story?

I thought my friend, Jessica maybe had given up on the adventures of Bunnicula and friends, especially when the last two books she read he barely made an appearance. Nope... her very generous grandmother, made her an early birthday gift of the entire series thus far. Jessica just finished a book about a real puppy that had a cute cover with his picture but didn't have a really cute story...at least not for a 9-year-old. Jessica has learned though, what every reader knows, you really can't judge a book by its cover. b>Nighty-Nightmare started out fine. Howard is as loveable as ever and the whole gang is going to the woods camping with the Monroes. I noticed about halfway through that Jessica didn't have the same intense look on her face when she was reading that she had with the other 3 books, but I thought maybe she was still feeling sorry for the puppy in the last book she read. Finally, she asked "What's happened to Bunnicula? He isn't here again." I gave her some wise adult-like answer and she looked at me with that "you're out to lunch" look that only pre-teens and early teens can give and went back to reading. Next, she informed me that she didn't like the new character of Dawg. She said he was weird and rude. On reflection, I agreed with her. Now the big scary man with the big scary knife enters the story. From that point on I kept expecting a scene from "Deliverance"... and I'm sure most of you know which scene I'm referring to. If you don't ...don't rent the DVD to find out. You're better off for it. This book bore so little resemblance to the first three that I actually checked to see if it was written by the same author or if he had a psychopath friend writing with him now. I do hope things get better for the little "gang" and the Monroes, and so does Jessica.

The Scandal At The Salty Dog - Josh Lanyon - (Rhode Island)
Secrets and Scrabble series Book #4
5★
Mystery stalks the cobbled streets of Pirate's Cove. Who or what is haunting elderly recluse Juliet Blackwell, what does it have to do with mysterious goings-on at the Salty Dog Pub - and why is any of it mystery bookshop owner Ellery Page's problem? According to sometimes-boyfriend Police Chief Jack Carson, it's not Ellery's problem, and Ellery should stop asking awkward questions before it's too late. Ellery couldn't agree more, but it's hard to say no when someone is as frightened as old Mrs. Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell insists the ghost of long-dead pirate Rufus Blackwell has come to avenge himself on the last member of his treacherous clan. Before Ellery can say, "Yikes!" Mrs. Blackwell takes a tumble down the grand staircase of her spooky mansion, and it's up to Ellery to find who is trying to kill his eccentric customer.

I love anything Josh Lanyon can put on paper or any other devise. This little series is different than her other books. I have read thus far 4 books in the series and the most “romance” that I have seen Ellery encounter from his hot police chief boyfriend, Jack Carson, is that they now share a kiss occasionally and Jack openly admits that he finds Ellery attractive. Jack is also spending more nights at Ellery's place than his own. There is always a really good mystery that Ellery’s small staff at his bookstore always talks him into “helping” Jack solve, and yes, it usually gets Ellery in trouble, or worse yet...makes him the prime suspect. I always want to tell him to shut the door and stay out of it, but does he listen to me? NO! I can say that in addition to the mystery...and bear in mind that this series is composed of books of the “Cozy mystery” genre and not Josh Lanyon’s usual hot guys...that watching Ellery and Jack attempt to develop some kind of relationship is a welcomed sight, both emotionally and comedically, and even sometimes a bit frustrating. Their chemistry may be on the light side on the page, but you just know the heat is in there somewhere waiting to come forth. Anyone that likes cozy mysteries will find these books an absolute delight while visiting the small Rhode Island town of Pirates Cove.

Beyond The Sea - Keira Andrews - (a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean)
2.5★
Troy Tanner walks out on his boy band’s world tour rather than watching his little brother snort his life away. Screw it. He’ll take a private jet home and figure out his life away from the spotlight. But Troy doesn’t make it home. The plane crashes on a jungle island in the South Pacific. Forget dodging the paparazzi—now Troy’s desperate for food and water. The turquoise ocean and white sand beach looks like paradise, but danger lurks everywhere. Thank God the pilot survived too. At least Troy’s not alone. He has Brian. Brian’s smart and brave and strong. He doesn’t care that Troy’s famous. Brian’s real. As days turn into weeks with no sign of rescue, Troy and Brian rely on each other. They make each other laugh despite being stranded. They go from strangers to friends. What happens when they want more? Although he and Brian both identify as straight, their growing desire burns hotter than the tropical sun. If they explore their sexuality a thousand miles from anything or anyone, can their newfound love survive in the real world when they’re finally rescued?

The story itself was okay...and predictable. None of it was true to life. The physical scenes got a bit tedious because they stretched the imagination to even see how all of a sudden this could or did happen. I don’t think who they are attracted to or are not attracted to would be the main concern if you found yourself stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash ...and how convenient that that particular island was deserted. I know it’s fiction, but I just found it too much and too unbelievable.

Desert Vengeance by Betty Webb
3.5 ★

When the man who raped Scottsdale PI Lena Jones when she was a nine-year-old foster child is released from prison, Lena is waiting for him in the parking lot--with a big knife. "Papa" Brian Wycoff survives their meeting, but the next day, his wife, who knew about his crimes but did nothing to stop him is found dead. A couple of days later, he is found tortured to death. Suspicion first falls upon Lena, then falls on Wycoff's other now-grown up victims, and on the mothers of the children who went missing before his arrest. When Lena takes up the case, more to protect one of the mothers who has been arrested than to find the real killer, her conscience is torn. Does a serial child rapist really deserve justice?

There were a lot of people in this story who hated Wycoff and were glad he was dead so there were many suspects. Lena is feisty and determined, somewhat cynical yet still has a fairly positive attitude despite the trauma of losing her family, then being raped in foster care. Besides the investigation, there was more about what happened to her family and how she got shot. This was a decent story in the series but what I like best are Lena and Jimmy.

Love Over Scotland - Alexander McCall Smith - (Scotland)
44 Scotland Street series Book #3
4★
This just in from Edinburgh: the complicated lives of the denizens of 44 Scotland Street are becoming no simpler. Domenica Macdonald has left for the Malacca Straits to conduct a perilous anthropological study of pirate households. Angus Lordie’s dog, Cyril, has been stolen, and is facing an uncertain future wandering the streets. Bertie, the prodigiously talented six-year-old, is still enduring psychotherapy, but his burden is lightened by a junior orchestra's trip to Paris, where he makes some interesting new friends. Back in Edinburgh, there is romance for Pat with a handsome young man called Wolf, until she begins to see the attractions of the more prosaically named Matthew.

My mother loved this author and read everything she could find that he wrote. I lost my mother in 2018 at the age of 95...so I have tried to read at least one or more of her favorite authors every year. Our tastes varied greatly to say the least, but we found equal joy in Alexander McCall Smith. Her father, my grandfather, was from Scotland...and she always said that Smith’s stories reminded her of her Dad. I read the first book in this series but somehow missed the second one...but it didn't seem to be a big thing...I could happily continue to enjoy being a voyeur in the lives of the richly drawn characters who reside in and around Scotland Street. If you enjoy character-driven stories of ordinary people facing their everyday ups and downs, you will enjoy this series. It is light and refreshing visit with real-life people with real-life problems and joys.

Into The Wolves Den -Jon Athan - (New Mexico)
0★
What would you do to protect your family? Keith Klein, a beat cop in the small New Mexico town of Montaño, sets out to find his missing daughters after they vanish on their way home from school. He enlists the help of Gerald Greenwood, an old friend and a private investigator. When their investigation stalls and desperation creeps in, Keith’s methods become unorthodox, illegal, and extremely violent. Meanwhile, Keith’s daughters, fourteen-year-old Carrie and eight-year-old Allison, witness horrors beyond imagination at the Wolves’ Den, a house in the middle of nowhere. In that house, a group of psychopaths in animal masks produce snuff films and other disturbing content for clients across the globe.

OMG! Is there any subject matter that is TOO MUCH to put on paper??? The kidnapping was portrayed as the main story line, however the book skirted past any detail of the captives and centered on the torture involved with the investigation. I can see this being used as instruction manual by some sick, less than human, creep. It’s the story of three young girls who fall prey to child predators It's not poorly written by any means. Probably would have improved it if it had been. I gave it 100 pages and then I just couldn’t take any more of it...and that’s saying a lot for me. If you attempt it...be sure you have a very, very strong stomach. I have never in all my life ever returned a book, but I took this one back to the small bookstore that sold it and they refunded my money. Oh yes...I bought another book:)

The Wife and The Widow - Christian White - (Australia)
4.5★
Set against the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and The Widow is an unsettling thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside when she’s forced to confront the evidence of her husband’s guilt. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives.

The wife and the widow are Kate and Abby. Abby is a local whose husband Ray runs a business looking after the summer holiday houses and gardens when they are shut up over the winter. Kate is on the island looking for her husband John who is missing since telling her he was going to a conference in London. Kate and John own a holiday house on the island passed down to them by John's parents so Kate decided to check if he was there since he has been visiting it since he was a boy. What happened on the island will change both families forever. This is a well written, well-paced mystery. The author's ability to misdirect his unsuspecting readers works brilliantly and the twisty climax ties it all up well.

>32 Carol420: I've read a couple of McCall Smith's Ladies Detective Agency books. I didn't know he had this series in Scotland. I like the occasional change from mysteries and the Scotland series being about life in Edinburgh and character-driven sounds great. I put that on my TBR list. Reading Smith's books is a nice way for you to remember your mother.

I also liked your review on The Wife and the Widow. That went on my TBR list too!

The Mermaid Murders - Josh Lanyon
The Art of Murder series Book #1
4.5★
Special Agent Jason West is seconded from the FBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendary “manhunter” Sam Kennedy when it appears that Kennedy’s most famous case, the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as The Huntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure. The Huntsman is still out there...and the killing has begun again.

As Kennedy and West begin their investigation, it is clear that Kennedy would prefer to work alone but he takes it in stride and soon discovers that West’s art history knowledge and experience offers a complimentary dynamic to the team. I kept wishing that they could have at least "liked" one another more and been less antagonistic, since they both must have at least felt the attraction from the start from the things that were thought and said. After interviewing residents and pouring over old case notes, clues start to reveal possible suspects. While West is open about his sexual orientation, Kennedy remains an enigma until one night Kennedy makes his preferences known, and I thought "well about time!". Being total opposites, there is already tension that you could cut with a dull knife, but they do manage to find a working balance that opens the door to a bit more chemistry. Kennedy shares just how appealing he finds West and thought things were off to some type of relationship, working and otherwise. The mystery of the dead girls and the mermaids is more than good. I had my suspicions from the beginning but was wrong more than once and NEVER would have guessed the end. The way the clues revealed some twists, it kept my interest until the very end. I am looking forward to continuing this series to see what transpires between Kennedy and West. For those who enjoy a murder mystery and don’t mind the main characters being a same sex couple, will like this series. Josh Lanyon can do few things wrong in her books.

>35 gaylebutz: I hear that he has a new series that takes place in Sweden. There is only one book in it thus far. I'm going to try it but maybe not until March since February reading is getting pretty full.

Curse of The Pogo Stick - Colin Cotterill
Dr. Siri Paiboun series Book #5
5★
n Vientiane, a booby-trapped corpse, intended for Dr. Siri, the national coroner of Laos, has been delivered to the morgue. In his absence, only Nurse Dtui’s intervention saves the lives of the morgue attendants, visiting doctors, and Madame Daeng, Dr. Siri’s fiancée.
On his way back from a communist party meeting in the north, Dr. Siri is kidnapped by seven female Hmong villagers under the direction of the village elder so that he will—in the guise of Yeh Ming, the thousand-year-old shaman with whom he shares his body—exorcise the headman’s daughter whose soul is possessed by a demon and lift the curse of the pogo stick.

I'm sure that starting at the beginning of the series would have given me a much clearer understanding of the characters...but hey...why should I start doing that now? It seems that politics plays a large role in the stories, but the books are NOT about politics...they're about friendship and love of the people living in a small Laotian community. Dr. Siri, the main character, has special abilities that connect him to the spirit world as well as special abilities to work the system. I found the book to be beautifully written and the cast of characters a rare treasure...and at the center of all this is a fantastic mystery, the kind that grabs the reader and makes you want to keep reading well into the night. I'm hooked as long as he continues to produce such marvelous, funny, endearing and amazing characters as those I have already met. I'll be good and start at the beginning.

The Beautiful Things shoppe - Willian Stover - (Pennsylvania)
Hideaway Inn series Book #2
5★
Their collections may clash but their hearts are a perfect match. Moving to eclectic New Hope, Pennsylvania, and running The Beautiful Things Shoppe is a dream come true for elegant and reserved fine arts dealer Prescott J. Henderson. He never agreed to share the space with Danny Roman, an easygoing extrovert who collects retro toys and colorful knickknacks. And yet here they are, trapped together in the quaint shop as they scramble to open in time for New Hope’s charming Winter Festival. Danny has spent years leading with his heart instead of his head. The Beautiful Things Shoppe is his chance to ground himself and build something permanent and joyful. The last thing he needs is an uptight snob who doesn’t appreciate his whimsy occupying half his shop. It’s only when two of New Hope’s historic landmarks—each as different as Danny and Prescott—are threatened that a tentative alliance forms. And with it, the first blush of romance. Suddenly, running The Beautiful Things Shoppe together doesn’t seem so bad…until Danny’s secret threatens to ruin it all.

It's a simple story, told from different perspectives, in a unique way. I found the characters of Danny and Prescott to be both fun and funny. It isn't in your face romance to start with. The two guys are enemies and then lovers with the romance being slowly woven into the story. They are such polar opposites I was beginning to wonder if anything was ever going to bring them together. Prescott was socially awkward, and Danny was...well, gregarious would be a good word for him. Both are hiding painful vulnerabilities that was constraining their happy now, let alone ever after. The author simmers their unlikely pairing and covert lusting for each other until a cold winter's night and some hot chocolate work their magic. The Beautiful Things Shoppe is not about people who buy expensive things for the sake of social status or prestige. Danny and Prescott are collectors who love disparate things that simply brings them joy. By the end of the story, both men do find love...but also, they share a passion for artifacts like a Cunningham pewter mug or a Snoopy cookie jar. We find that beauty is indeed truly in the eye of the beholder. Overall...we have a breathtaking love story that opens your eyes to all the beautiful things in the world we might otherwise have missed.

Now and Then - Robert B. Parker - (Massachusetts)
Spencer series Book #35
4
Investigating a new client's unfaithful wife, Boston private eye Spenser finds himself in a web of trouble when the seemingly open-and-shut case goes terribly wrong and three people wind up dead, a situation that reveals the wife's lover's ties to a terrorist organization.

Most of what I have read by Robert Parker is the Jesse Stone series, but this fit a category for a challenge so thought I would try a Spencer book. The book had witty dialogue, a tough-as-nails protagonist, three quirky sidekicks (Hawk, Vinnie, Chollo), and a rather unpleasant character in Susan. It's a formula that obviously worked through many years and more than 50 books featuring these characters. Now and Then certainly holds its own among novels of the suspense genre. It was a well-paced, realistic detective thriller...but I still like Jesse Stone more.

Eugene and The Box of Nails - Jaime Samms
5★
Every time it seems like things are looking up for Eugene Kraft, disaster hits. Bankruptcy, a bigoted sibling, and a back-breaking accident have all left him with little money and less faith in the universe. His last-ditch effort at peace is the small lakeside property where he is building a tiny house from recycled materials. If he can get it livable before the cold sets in, maybe he’ll be okay. Hopefully Cullen, the foreman on the construction site next door, won’t notice Eugene pilfering discarded materials from his dumpster. When Cullen stops by to talk to Eugene, he’s sure the gig is up—but all Cullen wants is a date. Can two things go right in Eugene’s life? At first it seems possible. Projects on Eugene’s house are getting completed by what he dubs “construction elves” while he’s off site. But like Eugene predicted, his good fortune can’t last, and soon he has a tough choice to make... give up his home… or the man of his dreams.

It's a short, (66 actual pages even on audio), sweet, heartwarming romance. Eugene was a fantastic character and I really liked that the reader got to know him so well in spite of the shortness of the book. His ingenuity for turning scrapped building materials into the makings of a home was quite interesting. As a conservation biologist, I absolutely loved his idea. His resources were quite limited, so he also did the majority of the labor on his own and used the land’s terrain in the design of the house rather than destroying the landscape. The one thing that I didn't especially care for was how much he constantly worried about his past bad luck ruining all his newfound good luck. His failure to communicate with Cullen...the guy that was quickly claiming his heart...nearly causes him to torpedo their fragile, fledgling relationship before his bad luck can do it. It does have a happy ever after and I look forward to revisiting with Eugene and Cullen another time.

The Witches - Roald Dahl -(Norway)
2.5★
This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches. Grandmamma loves to tell tales about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!

Some booklists call it a children’s book but I’m not sure that I would buy it for just any child. Some it would scare the kids to death and make them fodder for Dr. Phil. Roald Dahl never seems to doubt that children already know a great deal about witches. Like the grandmother in the story, Dahl says children don't require extreme coddling...nor is he timid about using fear to tell a story. Again I ‘m not sure that it’s a thing that just any child could handle. There are always some truths in fairy tales...most were written to teach a lesson. Dahl obviously believes that monsters can exist in a way that allows children to face their fears... not sure I agree with that either. I found this to be a rather strange book. Maybe something was lost in the translation. I love horror stories and ghost stories...but from a child’s viewpoint...I think I would find this very disturbing.

The Second Sleep by Robert Harris
3.5 ★

1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor England village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artifacts - coins, fragments of glass, human bones - which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death? Fairfax becomes determined to discover the truth.

In the past, some type of apocalypse occurred but the religious leaders forbade anyone from investigating into the past. Young priest Fairfax’s curiosity slowly drew him into exploring for artifacts along with several other people, which put them at risk. This was part adventure, a bit of romance, religious ideas and some suspense. It was an interesting read but I would like to have had more explanation of what caused the apocalypse.

>43 gaylebutz: I have just finished this myself and agree with your grading. Slightly mysterious ending that will either intrigue or irritate the reader and left me wondering what happened next.

Natural Predators - Neil Placky - (Hawaii)
Mahu Investigations series Book #7
4★
The beautiful tropical island of O'ahu is filled with predators, from high-flying owls to bottom-dwelling criminals. When the body of an island patrician is found in a warehouse fire, tracking his killers will bring openly gay Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa'aka into contact with many of those predators, natural and otherwise. Kimo and his detective partner Ray Donne dig deep into the history of Hawai'i as the islands were teetering on the brink of statehood in order to understand the victim, his killer, and their motives. Kimo and his partner, fire investigator Mike Riccardi, decide to become foster parents for a homeless teen who witnessed the crime, while preparing to become dads themselves.

This is the first book I have read by Neil S. Plakcy and therefore the first book I have read in this series. I had heard wonderful things about this series but still nothing prepared me for the richness and depth of the story and characters. The characters range from low level thugs to runaway teens, to high society lawyers and businessman, and everything in between. All the characters have a defining “voice” consistent with their histories and culture. Kimo and his partner track down two suspects in the case. We travel with Kimo and Ray as they travel from one side of the island to the other, collecting Hawaiian history and geographical facts as we go. The murder has a complex history. The foster child part will make you laugh and cry, sometimes both together. We also get to observe Kimo and his partner Mike work through yet another potential obstacle to happiness with regard to surrogate fatherhood and still read in amazement as the author rolls in more layers much like the tropical habitats that abound in Hawaii. If I thought they would have heard it, I would have offered a round of applause upon finishing this story.

Sidecar - Amy Lane
5★
The year is 1987. The boys wear pink Izod shirts, the girls wear big hair, everyone has a stash box, and AIDS is just an ugly rumor rumbling like a thunderstorm from the cities. A teenage runaway wanders the side of the road, a heartbeat away from despair, and is rescued by a long-haired angel on a Harley. But that's just the beginning of their story. Josiah Daniels wanted peace and quiet and a simple life, and he had it until he rescued Casey from hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Then Joe's life is anything but simple as he and his new charge navigate a world that is changing more rapidly than the people in it. Joe wants to raise Casey to a happy and productive adulthood, and he does. But even as an adult, Casey can't conceive of a happy life without Joe. The trouble is getting Joe to accept that the boy he nurtured is suddenly the man who wants him. Their relationship can either die or change with the world around them. As they make a home, negotiate the new rules of growing up, and swerve around the pitfalls of modern life, Casey learns that adulthood is more than sex, Joe learns that there is no compromise in happy ever after, and they’re both forced to realize that the one thing a man shouldn’t be is alone.

There aren't enough words to express how much I loved this book and the characters of Casey and Joe. It had to be one of the most heart wrenching, yet most beautiful stories I have ever read in some time. Thank you, Amy Lane, for this treasure. I would have expected nothing less from you. The story covered 25 years with these two wonderful men that loved one another and made a life together in a time when it wasn't generally accepted. They dared to build a future and even raised a child...a baby that was one of twins born to a 15-year-old crack mother who didn't want anything to do with her tiny boys...one of whom died a few days after birth. Casey had been one of Joe's boys he rescued when Casey was 16 years old and had been thrown out of his parents' house. Joe was a nurse that worked 14-hour days and spent his weekends and evenings searching the freeways for people that he found struggling from cold, or heat, and hunger...both boys and girls. Casey was the only one he kept, and that decision took a great deal of soul searching on is part, but Casey refused to leave. The story is extremely character driven. It's filled with emotions that you know are real. It's an m/m romance, and yes there is sex...but the story itself and especially the last few chapters will have you reaching for the box of tissues

The Hungry Ones - Chris Sorensen - (New York)
Messy Man Series Book #2
5★
At the outskirts of Maple City sits the Crossroads Motel, a throwback to the days when the motor lodge was king. Two years ago, the motel was the site of an act so brutal that its buildings were left to rot. Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place. When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her grand opening is still a week away. But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.

I really enjoyed his previous book, “The Nightmare Room”, but this one a little more. It’s sequel and it doesn't disappoint. We visit some of the characters from the first book again but see them in a different light. You really do need to read the first book before this one...but this one can stand well on its own with new characters and plot twists. Basically...without giving too much away... Jesse buys a hotel that was a scene of multi murders. I guess she didn't expect anything strange to happen. As you have more than likely guessed... she was wrong. You can find out how wrong and meet the new characters which includes a smart little boy...a psychic... and a cow. Just for the record, the cow is totally innocent.

Love Means...No Boundaries - Andrew Grey
4.5★
Joey Sutherland has found a home with Geoff Laughton and his partner, Eli, living and working at the farm that has become a refuge after a motorcycle accident left him with a scarred face and a lot of insecurities. When Geoff’s aunt Mari convinces them to take in a musician from the National Youth Symphony, Joey is reluctantly roped into picking him up, already anticipating the disgust he’ll see on the man’s face. But Robert Edward Jameson surprises him: he’s outgoing and friendly, he’s willing to try just about anything around the farm, and he’s blind, which goes a long way toward easing Joey’s nerves. Joey and Robbie become inseparable and discover the beginnings of love. But summer is coming to an end, and Robbie will return to his home in Mississippi, where his family and servants see to everything he could want or need. Joey can only hope Robbie will take a chance on love and escape the boundaries that have shaped his sightless life.

Andrew Grey always invites such interesting and diverse characters to reside in his stories. In this case one of the characters is physically scarred and the other one is blind. Not your usual combination in an m/m romance or any other genre for that matter. When Robbie is touring with a symphony orchestra, he stays at the Laughton Farm for a few weeks when the original accommodations fall through. There, Joey treats him not as a cripple, but as an equal. The two quickly become inseparable and love grows. The problem is that their time together is fast coming to an end. Both men believe that they have no place in one another's world. Rich, blind Robbie feels he has nothing to offer the farm in order to feel that he has earned his stay there...and country-raised, scarred Joey feels that he will never be able to have a life in Robbie's hometown in Mississippi and also will never be accepted there because of his orientation. It's a beautifully written and detailed story of how they become a part of each other's lives and hearts. I would expect nothing less from this author.

Bad Company - K.A. Mitchell - (Maryland)
3 ★
A quite entertaining book, Bad Company tells us the story of Nate Gray and Kellan Brooks. Nat and Kellan were best pals when they were kids, but when Nate decides to out himself and admit he is gay, Kellan turns his back on him and ignores him at high school, where Nate suffers continue abuse. Years later, Kellan comes to Nate because he needs a place to stay and offers him the chance of revenge he has been waiting for so long. Things are not easy at the beginning between these two very different characters, but somehow the old friendship reignites and turns into something more, something none of them knows how to deal with.

I’m not sure that I had much sympathy for any of these three characters. All are rebellious. Nate Gray lives a comfortable life. He loves his job giving advice in his column. He’s not looking for a relationship because he’s had disappointment and heartache in the past and is going to make sure that it isn’t going to happens again...ever. Now his friend, Kellan, wants him to be his boyfriend...his FAKE boyfriend. Nate knew this was a bad idea...but when has that ever stopped any of the characters in these books??? Problem is things are changing for both these men. The question is... is Nathan ready to try to take a chance again...and is Kellan only after getting one over on his homophobic father? It’s not a bad book but the very fast evolution of the characters taking place in a very short time (just a couple of months), somehow undermines the credibility of the story...but it is romance and those things, I guess, do happen.

A Gathering Storm - Rachel Hore - (England)
3★
Photographer Lucy Cardwell has recently lost her troubled father, Tom. While sifting through his papers, she finds he'd been researching an uncle she never knew he'd had. Intrigued, she visits her father's childhood home, the once beautiful Carlyon Manor. She meets an old woman named Beatrice who has an extraordinary story to tell.

The book had all the things that a love story needs to make it readable...and I did somewhat enjoy it. I just wasn't "over the moon" about it. There were stories from the past and stories from the present all woven together with history and mystery mixed in. While there were some very interesting story lines, I had a difficult time really getting into the book, or the characters. I just could not warm up to Beatrice for much of the book due to her "obsessions" of Rafe and the storyline about the child was a bit unbelievable. There were times I just thought to myself, "really?". Anyway, it's a good read, just not a great read and while Rachel Hore's books usually start with a bang, they do tend to drag a bit. If you are romance/history/mystery fan, you will probably like this more than I did.

Her Dark Lies by J. T. Ellison
3 ★

On Isle Isola off the Italian coast, at a majestic cliff-top villa, owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets. From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. Then a raging storm descends and the real terror begins.

Many surprising things happen in this story but it is far-fetched and at times a bit silly which made it not that suspenseful. The characters were mostly stereotypes. The ending made it a bit more plausible. For me, just a so-so story.

Winter Ball - Amy Lane - (California)
Winter Ball series Book #1
4.5★
Through a miserable adolescence and a lonely adulthood, Skipper Keith has dreamed of nothing but family. The closest he gets is the rec league soccer team he coaches after work—and his star player and best friend, Richie Scoggins. One brisk night in late October, a post practice convo in Richie’s car turns into a sexual encounter neither of them expected—nor want to forget. Soon Skip and Richie are living for the weekends and their winter league soccer games—and the games they enjoy off the field. Through broken noses, holiday decorating, and the killer flu, they learn more about each other than they ever dreamed possible. Every new discovery takes them further beyond the boundaries of the soccer field and into the infinite possibilities of the best relationship of Skipper’s life. Skipper can’t dream of a better family than Richie—but Richie’s got real family entanglements he can’t shake off. Skipper needs to convince Richie to stay with him beyond winter ball so the relationship they started on the field might become their happy future in real life!

Amy Lane has created many great characters over the years, but Richie and Skip are among the most surprising, unpretentious, lovable, devoted, and dedicated you will encounter. These are mid-20s guys caught in the middle of the divide between blue-collar and techie universes. It was a nice story...sweet with a lot of innocence. There was something tender and likeable about these two, how much they already cared about one another, and the wonder of their sexual attraction made them realize they can have everything they wanted...in each other. They are enough for one another. As the other half, as a new family. I wish the book had been just a bit longer. I wanted to see and understand more about each of the characters... their jobs...their lives in general...more about the team that obviously means a lot to both of them. We didn't really get a lot of their mutual time together off the field either. For myself, it would have given a better feel to both Richie and Skipper as well as Jefferson, one of the main characters appearing in the next book...which I have.

The Harvest - Sara Clancy (Tennessee)
Bell Witch series Book #1
4★
Amid the sweet sounds of a music box, their darkest fears will haunt them… In Black River, Tennessee, everyone knows the legend of the Bell Witch… and the alleged curse that hangs like a dark shroud over the town. To some, it is just a local tall tale. But to others, it is terrifyingly real. For centuries, four families have been forced into the ritualistic tradition of sacrifice and terror. Every year, a member of each family stumbles upon an antique music box they need to lock before the time is up. And a horrible fate awaits them once the boxes open. Trapped in the witch’s sadistic game, the families’ young offspring are forced to journey into the dark and twisted woods of Black River in search for the keys to their salvation. But as they search for a way to end the curse, a haunting melody echoes through the trees. And each lost soul must wonder… Will they survive the night? Or will the Bell Witch’s bloody harvest claim more victims?

a very nice twist on the legend of the Bell Witch, with great tension and shivery plays on the fears. Each of the four chosen ones were very different. Bashaba and Cadwyn being my favorites. And wait until you meet Buck! I was surprised at the shortness of the story. I would have liked more of a chance to get to know the characters and to extend the actual time they were in the witch's forest. The witch spares no one coming for them in their most horrible nightmares. I wondered, like Mina, all the how's and why's of it. It starts out slow but soon draws the reader into the story. I'm anxious to get to book #2.

Summer Lessons - Amy Lane - (California)
Winter Ball series Book #2
4.5★
Mason Hayes’s love life has a long history of losers who don’t see that Mason’s heart is as deep and tender as his mouth is awkward. He wants kindness, he wants love—and he wants someone who thinks sex is as fantastic as he does. When Terry Jefferson first asks him out, Mason thinks it’s a fluke: Mason is too old, too boring, and too “blurty” to interest someone as young and hot as his friend’s soccer teammate. The truth is much more painful: Mason and Terry are perfectly compatible, and they totally get each other. But Terry is still living with his toxic, suffocating parent and Mason doesn’t want to be a sugar daddy. Watching Terry struggle to find himself is a long lesson in patience, but Mason needs to trust that the end result will be worth it, because finally, he’s found a man worth sharing his heart with.

Amy Lane has created a wonderful California community of ordinary, marginally blue collar and techie-types, which began with Richie and Skip in Winter Ball and continues with Mason and Terry in this one. I liked Terry.... but I absolutely loved Mason and his bipolar brother. The entire interaction with Mason and Dane, his brother, was handled so very well giving the reader real insight into what people that are bipolar not only go through but what they are capable of accomplishing. I’m a huge fan of Amy Lane. I have read almost everything she has written. She always gives us super quirky characters that quickly get into one another, and thus far, in everything I have read, they find their "happy ever after". It might take a while, but they do get there. The circle of friends in this series is expanding with some from the first book and hopefully the group will grow with the third book Fall Through Spring, which I have already started.

Fall Through Spring - Amy Lane - (California)
Winter Ball series Book #3
4★
As far as Clay Carpenter is concerned, his abusive relationship with food is the best thing he’s got going. When a good friend starts kicking his butt into gear, Clay is forced to reexamine everything he learned about food and love―and that’s right when he meets troubled graduate student, Dane Hayes.
Dane Hayes doesn’t do the whole monogamy thing, but the minute he meets Clay Carpenter, he’s doing the friend thing in spades. The snarky, scruffy guy not only gets Dane's wacky sense of humor, he also accepts the things Dane can’t control―like the bipolar disorder Dane has been trying to manage for the past six years. Dane is hoping for more than friendship, and Clay is looking at him with longing that isn't platonic. They’re both positive they’re bad at relationships, but with the help of forbidden desserts and new medication regimens, they prove outstanding at being with each other. Can they turn their friendship into the love neither of them has dared to hope for?

The characters. of Clay and Dane are just guys, not super rich, not super poor. they are, however, overweight, impatient, have poor coping mechanisms, guilty, suffer from profound mental illness and generally, are not your typical romance fair. At the same time, they are simple...more. As usual, Amy Lane creates people that just come to life and drag you in with them. You find that you are hoping for the happy ending, because you’ve come to love these guys. There’s a little...well, a lot, of snark. Some sweet things...some heat...and some angst. A really excellent adventure. Plus, you get to see the relationships and characters from the other two books from different viewpoints. Hope there will be a book 4, but these m/m romance series tend to be only 3 or 4 books in length. BUMMER!

Shiloh - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4.5★
When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight—and also big trouble. It turns out the dog, which Marty names Shiloh, belongs to Judd Travers, who drinks too much and has a gun—and abuses his dogs. So when Shiloh runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. But Marty's secret becomes too big for him to keep to himself, and it exposes his entire family to Judd's anger. How far will Marty have to go to make Shiloh his?

Other than that cute, sweet, adorable little face...much of the attraction of this little book can be found in its simplicity. At its core, it's a tale about love, loyalty, and family. It is perhaps even more relevant today than when it was published in 2000, for the financial struggles of the protagonist's family are something that many families are currently yet dealing with in these difficult times of economic hardship. In the face of these challenges, our characters come to understand the necessity of supporting your family, and the values of taking responsibility for the life of another living being, and the empathy that such a thing instills. I seldom recommend books as readers preferences are so diversified, but I can strongly recommend this one. It's a children's book, however if you are an animal lover and have a heart in your chest, you will fall in love with this little guy.

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
4 ★

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of interviewing a stranger and writing a brief biography of the person. Joe meets Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam veteran at a local nursing home--and a convicted murderer. As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, while struggling in his personal life to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, guilt for leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory.

I was drawn into this story right away with sympathy for Joe and how he took on the responsibility of dealing with his alcoholic mother and watching over his autistic brother while trying to get a college education and working. I liked Joe a lot. While looking for the truth, he got into a couple very tense situations. They may have been a bit of a stretch and relied on luck but I was so interested in what happened that I didn’t mind. I’ve read this author before and I enjoy how he develops his characters.