WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN JUNE 2022?

Tell us what you're going to read in June.

☀️ - ★
Carol's Reading Plans for June
☀️Huntsman - (Fox Hollow Zodiac - Morgan Brice - 5★ (Pick A Winner Make A Friend)
☀️Trusting The Elements - Elle Keaton- 5★
☀️In The Dark - Mark Billingham - 5★
☀️Darke Accused - Parker Avrile - 5★
☀️GhosTV - Jordan Castillo Price - 3.5★
☀️Storm Season - Elle Keaton - 5★
☀️Rhapsody in Blood - John Morgan Wilson - 5★
☀️Somebody Killed His Editor - Josh Lanyon - 5★
☀️Dying Light - Stuart MacBride -3★
☀️Dirty Kiss - Rhys Ford - 2★
☀️Morning My Angel - Sue Brown -5★
☀️The Secret of Snow - Viola Shipman- 4★
☀️Silent Knight - Layla Reyne - 5++★
☀️A Short Time to Die - Susan Bickford - 4.5★
☀️The Night Hawks - Elly Griffiths - 5★
☀️Last Seen Alive - Jane Bettany - 4★
☀️The Mystery of the Spirits - C.S. Poe - 5★
☀️Boy Meets Body - Josh Lanyon (Vol 2) - 4★
☀️Careless Love - Peter Robinson - 3★
☀️St Francis Society for Wayward Pets - Annie England Noblin - 4★
☀️The Queen and I - Sue Townsend - 2★
☀️Last Gasp - S.C. Wynn - 5★
☀️The Keepers - Tan Van Huizen - 5★
☀️Quicksilver- Dean Koontz - 4.5★
☀️Breathe - Joyce Carole Oates - 1★
☀️The Haunting of Blackwater Cottage - Clay Wise - 3★
☀️Above and Beyond - Andrew Grey- 5★
☀️What My Sister Knew - Nina Laurin - 3.5★
☀️Upside Down - Andrew Grey - 5★
☀️The Investigator - John Sandford - 2.5★
☀️Dyatlov Pass - Alan K. Baker - 4.5★
☀️Ghost Detective - Scott William Carter -4.5★
☀️Dark Horse/White Knight - Josh Lanyon - 4★
☀️Haunted House -Jack Kilborn & J.A. Konrath -5★
☀️Interlude- C.S. Poe -5★
☀️Talker's Redemption- Amy Lane - 4.5★
☀️Talker's Graduation - Amy Lane - 4.5★
☀️Pretty, Pretty Boys - Gregory Ashe -4.5★
☀️Boy Meets Body Volume 1 - Josh Lanyon - 5★
☀️The Ghost of Normandy Road - John Hennessy -5★
☀️Nothing To Lose - J.A. Jance - 4.5★
☀️Death In Room 7 - K.J. Emrick - 3★
☀️The Siren and The Specter - Jonathan Janz -5★
☀️ Gone The Next - Ben Rehder - 3.5★
☀️How The Dead Speak - Val McDermid - 4★
☀️September, (Pride & Joy) - Robert Winter - 5 plus many More ★
☀️Velvet Midnight - Max Walker - 5★
☀️Heart of Summer - Max Walker - 5★

Huntsman - Morgan Brice - (New York)
Fox Hollow Zodiac Series Book #1
5★
A grieving wolf. A hunted fox. Fated mates, thrown together by chance, and the looming threat of a fabled Huntsman who might tear them apart forever.
Fox shifter Liam Reynard is running from a killer. He uproots his life to find sanctuary in Fox Hollow, deep in the Adirondack Forest in New York. When his car breaks down, sexy wolf shifter Russ Lowe comes to the rescue, and one touch makes it clear they’re fated mates. Neither man was looking for love, and both are still mending from past heartbreak. When mysterious fires and disappearances threaten Fox Hollow, Liam fears the killer is hot on his trail. Can he protect the town and his fated mate from the evil hunting him, or will an ex-lover’s betrayal cost Liam everything he loves?

I'm not crazy about shifter books but I am diffidently crazy about Morgan Brice! I even liked these characters in their animal and human shapes enough to read more of this series. Liam and Russ are really great together. It was good to see them really trying to get to know each other rather than only relying on the "fated mate" part to make everything easy. The supporting characters are all very well done, with a lot of easy choices for "next couples". if you don't mind, or even like same sex couples... fated mates...mixed species...shifter towns...fighting to survive against the hunters...dealing with previous love lost...a feisty fox and a sweet alpha wolf...you might give this one a try, or for that matter any of the series by Morgan Brice. She writes the Badlands series and The Witchbane series as well as a few others under the name of Gail Z. Martin. She is one excellent storyteller.

Mystery of the Spirits - C.S. Poe - (New York)
Snow and Winter series Book #5
5★
Antique dealer Sebastian Snow and Homicide detective Calvin Winter have been happily married for a year and a half. In that time, there’s been nary a mystery in sight, and for a recovering sleuth like Sebastian, an uneventful life is exactly what he needs. That is, until Calvin’s lieutenant enters the Emporium and demands insight on a bizarre object known as a spiritoscope, hailing from the early days of the Spiritualism movement. Sebastian’s extensive knowledge of Victorian curiosities leads him to consulting for the NYPD—putting him at odds with his husband. And as the bodies begin to stack up, so do the seemingly dead-end clues, which if Sebastian can’t make sense of, might result in a whole lot more death.

I love antiques and I am a huge fan of history, so this series has been an enjoyable adventure for me. C.S. Poe has blended both into her Snow and Winter series plus she has created great characters in Sebastian Snow and Calvin Winter. She has given them the gift of each other and allowed them to find happiness and contentment. They've been married for a year and a half at the start of this story and it's good to see a couple whose attraction and life together is thriving simply because they’re in love, and their love paints everything about the way one sees the other. As with every book in this series, I find that at the end of the book, I am both satisfied by the resolution and also sad to say goodbye to these characters and their shenanigans. I sincerely hope that there will be books number six, and seven, and eight....if not there is the gift of rereading a wonderful series.

The House of Broken Angels – Luis Alberto Urrea
Digital audiobook performed by the author.
3.5****

A large Mexican-American family plans a get-together for the patriarch’s birthday. He’s dying of cancer and wants to gather everyone around him one more time. But as the big day approaches, Big Angel’s own mother dies (at nearly 100 years of age), so now there will be two celebrations in one weekend. One of the guests is Big Angel’s half-brother, known as Little Angel. As the weekend progresses, the brothers come to grips with how different their lives have been; while they shared a father, they did not share a life.

I have read two of Urrea’s novels previously, and am a fan of his writing. He peoples the work with a wide variety of characters – colorful, cautious, steadfast, reckless, proud, shy, angry, happy, broken or successful. He balances tender scenes against highly comic ones or anxiety-producing tragic occurrences.

I do wish I had had a family tree handy, however. Many of his characters go by more than one name, and the Mexican tradition of referring to every relative, no matter how distant, as “cousin” or “uncle” makes it even more challenging to keep the relationships straight.

I listened to the audio, which Urrea narrates himself. He is a wonderful performer of this work! But I think I will have to go back and read the text to fully immerse myself in this big, messy, loud, loving family.

In The Dark - Mark Billingham - (England)
5★
A rainy night in London. Shots are fired into a car which swerves on to the pavement, ploughing into a bus stop. It seems that a chilling gang initiation has cost an innocent victim their life. But the reality is far more sinister...One life is wiped out and three more are changed forever: the young man whose finger was on the trigger; an ageing gangster planning a deadly revenge, and the pregnant woman who struggles desperately to uncover the truth. Two weeks away from giving birth, how will she deal with a world where death is an occupational hazard? n a city where violence can be random or meticulously planned, where teenage gangs clash with career criminals and where loyalty is paid for in blood, anything is possible. Secrets are uncovered as fast as bodies, and the story's final twist is as breathtakingly surprising as they come.

There are villains and cops that you can form a fast love-hate relationship with. Mark Billingham has been a long-time favorite author of mine but I hadn't red anything by him in quiet some time, so I was glad to find this one while browsing the library. The story starts with a weapon fired, a car crash and a dead Police officer as a result. Is it a gang initiation gone wrong, or the perfect excitation? The plot follows the results of the shooting, the story of the shooter and his "friends", a young pregnant woman looking for answers and a gangster seeking revenge, This is a book that will keep you reading. You won't be putting it down anytime soon.

Circe – Madeline Miller
Audiobook performed by Perdita Weeks
5*****

In this marvelous work of literary fiction, Miller, tells us the story of Circe, daughter of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, and possibly best known for turning Odysseus’s men into swine.

I studied the classics in high school so was familiar with the basic story line, and some of the family connections, but Miller gives me so much more detail and really fleshes out these characters. With the possible exception of Scylla, no one is all good or all evil. Whether mere mortals, or exalted gods, they succumb to jealousy, ambition, greed, lust, and pride. They exhibit compassion, tenderness, loyalty and love.

This is the stuff of myths, so there are fantastical elements. I kept wondering where Circe got all her stores of provisions – seemingly endless supplies of wine, cheese, fruit, bread, not to mention the many herbs she used for her potions. But I can suspend disbelief with the best of them, and gave myself up to Miller’s excellent and gripping story-telling.

Miller’s writing wove a spell that completely enthralled me. I was so beguiled that a part of me wished the novel itself were immortal, and that I could keep reading forever.

I listened to the audiobook, marvelously performed by Perdita Weeks. She has many characters to handle and she has the skill to do it well.

I was glad to have a copy of the text handy, as well, because it includes a cast of characters which explains the various relationships between gods, mortals and monsters.

What My Sister Knew - Nina Laurin -(Canada)
3.5★
"...currently wanted by the police. If you know anything about the suspect's whereabouts, please call..." I look up at the TV screen, and my twin brother's face is splashed across it, life-size. It's a shock that makes my breath catch. This is my brother as an adult, my brother who I last saw fifteen years ago after the fire that killed our parents, covered in soot, clutching a lighter in his hand, his knuckles stark white against the dirt and ash. Everyone always said he'd grow up to be a heartbreaker. But his face has gone gaunt instead. The stubble on his cheeks and chin is patchy, and his eyes look dull and dark. My first thought is that it's not him. Not my beautiful brother, the golden boy who everyone loved. Yet, deep down, I've always known this would eventually happen.
What did you do this time, Eli? What the hell did you do?

I don't quiet know what to say about this book. I liked parts of it well enough but others left me feeling that I had missed something rather important but I couldn't figure out what it was. It's a story about twin a twin brother and sister, a sad childhood, and an escape from a house fire that affects their lives in later years. It covers all of the fallacies and mistakes of life. It had a good enough climax but a really sudden ending. It left me wondering about the outcome of the other characters and just wanting more.

Above and Beyond - Andrew Grey - (Pennsylvania)
Bronco Boys series Book #6
5★
When Salvatore Adruccio finished his time in the military, he moved on to a life of good friends, cold drinks, and hot men. His job as a bouncer at Bronco's is fun and drama-free, at least until sexy but secretive server Elliot Hastings catches his eye. On the run and in possession of evidence that could expose his stepfather for the dangerous and powerful criminal he is, Elliot doesn’t want to draw anyone else into his troubles. But when a thug catches up to him and Salvatore fends him off, he decides Elliot needs his help, even if he won’t admit it. Attraction quickly heats into passion, but Elliot is wary of commitment when he might have to drop everything and run at any moment. The only way they can be together in all the ways they want is to take out the threat posed by Elliot’s stepfather and his underworld ties. And Salvatore intends to do just that.

I'm sad that this is the last book in the Bronco Boys series. Of course, there are always rereads, which I'm good at, and lots more Andrew Grey books waiting to be read. I really like how the guys are never completely able to let go of their mercenary past and skills. This story about Elliott and Salvatore is another great addition to the series. It's packed with action, twists and turns, and amazing characters. Fingers crossed, Mr. Grey, how about more stories in this series. I would love to read Carson's. All of this author's books have a very clever plot and a happy ever after ending. Every aspect of the story is well researched and very true to life. He never disappoints.

Dying Light - Stuart MacBride -(Scotland)
Logan MacRae Series Book #2
3★
Even the darkest crimes will come to light…Crime never sleeps. Down by the docks, in the dead of night, a woman is hunted down and killed. For DS Logan McRae, it’s just the beginning of another nightmare. Neither does this killer. As the day dawns and the body count rises, Logan realizes that this isn’t just an isolated murder. It’s far more disturbing than that. A killer is on the loose and wreaking havoc – and Logan is running out of time to stop them.... And the clock is ticking.

I have read this series it seems since time began. I enjoyed the first book of the series which this is a part of...but as the series progresses some of the characters began to become more than slightly annoying and progressed to nearly unreadable. My trouble with the characters actually started with this one. The story begins with Logan McRae in trouble with his squad commander and going through disciplinary actions. This becomes a common occurrence. He finds himself being sent down to D.I. Steele’s squad, (horrible character by the way) also known throughout Aberdeen law enforcement as the “fuck-up squad.” I had forgotten how much I had always hated the character of D.I. Steele. She has no integrity, the manners of an untrained chimp, talks like a drunken sailor, and smokes like a chimney. She thinks nothing of miss-treating or “using” members of her squad. This is what our super cop, Logan McRae, enters into. D.I. Steele has every intention of using Logan for whatever means is at her disposal to get herself some fame and glory and on to better pastures than the “fuck-up squad.” Logan, on the other hand will do just about whatever it takes to get out of this squad and back into his former squad. The book is filled with flawed characters and bad habits. Then there are the bad guys and the REALLY bad guys. A lot of losers. There is plenty of action going on. You will never figure out what is happening in this story before it ends. I've read it before, and I still couldn't do it. There are fire bombings, prostitutes galore that have seen their better days, unfaithful men by the truck load, drug dealers, murdered girls, and even a dog. The dog is innocent. Well good people...we're not in Mayberry anymore that's for sure.

First Snow, Last Light / Wayne Johnston
3 stars

When Ned is 14-years old, he comes home from school to find no one home. This is unusual. It turns out both his parents have disappeared. The book follows Ned as an adult and looks back on his life without his parents in it. Sheilagh Fielding, a reporter and friend of Ned’s father, becomes a good friend to Ned. In 1949, when Newfoundland becomes a part of Canada, the last child born before that time is referred to as “The Last Newfoundlander”. Ned ends up adopting the orphan and also takes in the boy’s destitute aunt.

The book alternates between Sheilagh’s point of view and Ned’s (with a couple of chapters devoted to two other characters). I really have no interest in Sheilagh. She bores me and I don’t like her. Unfortunately, Ned’s missing-parents mystery really wasn’t touched on for most of the book, but we did come back to it at the end. That, of course for me, was the most interesting part of the book. So because of that, I found the start and end much more interesting than the rest of the book. Overall, I’m rating it ok, but it definitely picked up at the end, not only when Ned finally found out what happened, but what happened after that.

I listened to the audio, which had four different narrators. It was done well, although I still lost focus occasionally, but I don’t believe that was due to it being an audio book.

Young Jane Young – Gabrielle Zevin
Audiobook narrated by Karen White
4****

The novel is divided into five sections, each narrated by a different character: Rachel, Jane, Ruby, Embeth and Aviva.

The basic plot is that a young woman with a degree in political science and Spanish, gets a job interning with a congressman, and then begins an affair with him. Of course, he’s married, and much older than she is. But she’s young and “in love.” And even when she confides in her mother and her mother tells her to end it, she doesn’t. And then she’s caught. And her life is in ruins, while the congressman’s wife and staff rally ‘round to save his position and reputation.

Can you forgive yourself your youthful mistakes? Can you recover from such a public humiliation? Will you make further bad decisions to compound the problem? Or will you be able to put it behind you and go forward with grace and dignity and courage? Will the public let you?

Many of us have crises in our lives – some small, but some potentially devastating. For most of us those crises remain fairly private, shared only with a few close friends or family members. But what if it’s a public scandal? This is a wonderful exploration of the ways in which women deal with such personal disasters.

I thought the multiple narrators (and Zevin manages to give each of them a unique voice) was a very effective way to tell this story. I was cheering for every one of them, though I admit it took me a while to come to the side of the congressman’s wife.

Karen White does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She has multiple female characters to deal with and she’s able to differentiate them. I particularly liked how she voiced Ruby and Rachel.

#5 - Written by Joyce Carol Oates

Breathe - Joyce Carol Oates - (New Mexico)
1★
Amid a starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico, a married couple from Cambridge, MA takes residency at a distinguished academic institute. When the husband is stricken with a mysterious illness, misdiagnosed at first, their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each embarks upon a nightmare journey. At thirty-seven, Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of widowhood - and the loss of Gerard, whose identity has greatly shaped her own.
In vividly depicted scenes of escalating suspense, Michaela cares desperately for Gerard in his final days as she comes to realize that her love for her husband, however fierce and selfless, is not enough to save him and that his death is beyond her comprehension. A love that refuses to be surrendered at death—is this the blessing of a unique married love, or a curse that must be exorcized?

I almost have to say that I hated it more than 1 star could ever convey. Not because it was badly written but because Gerald's slow death was agonizing to read about. I ask you...who wants to read about all the excruciating details about a loved one dying? I caught myself breathing with Gerald as he breathed what could have been his last breath, and it was almost a relief when it finally was. I truly understood Michaela's love and devotion to begin with, but the story was beyond difficult. I guess that was probably the whole point of the title. Another thing that I started to hate Michaela for was that she refuses the most minute extensions of any support. I believe this one may actually give me more nightmares than any of the horror/paranormal genre books I read ever could.

Upside Down - Andrew Grey - (Pennsylvania)
Bronco Boys series Book #2
5★
Lowell Cartwright’s life as a mercenary problem solver has taken its toll, and after one more difficult job, he wants out. For help, he turns to Bull, a soldier of fortune turned club owner―not exactly a friend, but the best chance Lowell has. He visits Bull’s club to scope it out and meets Jeremy Hodgson. The twink captures his attention in a big way. Bull tells Lowell to stay away from the club until he decides whether he can help, so Lowell stays in town. When he spots Jeremy passed out on the floor of a convenience store, he goes to Jeremy’s aid. Lowell piques Jeremy’s interest immediately, pushing all the right buttons. Then, when Jeremy needs help, Lowell’s kindness turns interest into something more. But trouble comes knocking when Jeremy’s place is bugged. Maybe Lowell’s past is catching up to him, or maybe the danger centers on Jeremy’s roommate Tristan’s mysterious boyfriend. Whatever the source of the problem, the future Lowell and Jeremy hope for doesn't stand a chance unless they can find a way to protect themselves.

When I really like a book or a series, I can read it over and over many times and never get tired of it. Andrew Grey is one of several authors that that I have absolutely no problem with in doing this. I call him my hot chocolate/hot tea comfort author, and this is my third round of this series with him. The story itself is simple, but of course with complications. Lowell, who later will be affectionately known as "Spook" in the rest of the series, attempts to extract himself from a life that needs to be left behind. His attempts are predictable and suitably hair-raising. What is a bit surprising, even though it could be expected based on the relationship development between Bull and Zack in the first book...is the deep angst that both Lowell and Jeremy go through to try to justify their attraction to each other, or to simply cut it all off and disappear in opposite directions...and believe me the reader does in no way want that to happen. We desperately want life, love, friends, hot romance, and the quest to change a life to work out for these two. The amazing bond that all of these men form is deep and personal and the love that Jeremy and Lowell are forming is what both of them deserve and have been searching for. (Note: The picture on the cover above is Bull not Lowell)

The Queen and I - Sue Townsend - (England)
2★
In the not-too-distant future, a radical government has come to power in Great Britain and the Royal family has been moved…to a housing estate in Leicester. For the first time, the Royals have to live as ordinary people and they find the experience baffling and frightening, but ultimately enriching.

A very short read...only 95 pages. For myself that was a good thing because I found it a bit on the ridiculous side. I truly believe that the current Queen of England would be extremely capable of coping with whatever situation she found herself in. After all, this remarkable woman repaired trucks during the war so I believe she could handle a housing development and nosey neighbors. Perhaps the author meant to leave the reader thinking of the possibilities and that the world would be a better place if we treated each other with more respect and understanding. I never got into the story and perhaps that was because I wasn't prepared to "suspend my disbelief" this much, and I really don't believe the situation could actually ever happen. Some of the dialog between characters is written quite childishly and it's just not that funny! Perhaps the author may have had second thoughts and a fear of going too far in upsetting the majority.

St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets - Annie England Noblin - (Washington)
4★
Laid off, cheated on, mugged: what else can go wrong in Maeve Stephens’ life? So when she learns her birth mother has left her a house, a vintage VW Beetle, and a marauding cat, in the small town of Timber Creek, Washington, she packs up to discover the truth about her past. She arrives to the sight of a cheerful bulldog abandoned on her front porch, a reclusive but tempting author living next door, and a set of ready-made friends at the St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets, where women knit colorful sweaters for the dogs and cats in their care. But there’s also an undercurrent of something that doesn’t sit right with Maeve. What’s the secret (besides her!) that her mother had hidden? If Maeve is going to make Timber Creek her home, she must figure out where she fits in and unravel the truth about her past. But is she ready to be adopted again—this time, by an entire town…?

How could anyone with even half a heart refuse that cute little face on the cover? Taking a second and third...okay maybe it was five or six looks at the cover I was all set to see where this little guy came into the story. I have to admit that I was not at first impressed with the main human character. She seemed immature to me. But thanks to this clever author, (also human I assume), she grew on me and I was really rooting for her by now. Maybe having her wind up with the love interest that she did was a bit too pat, and by now I was thinking lets get on to the dog. At last finding out what the St. Francis Society was really doing made it all better. I loved Happy, the rescued American Bull Dog and the cat also. Actually it really isn't much of a dog story. The title is extremely misleading...but hey, we bought or borrowed the book probably based on the cute little guy on the cover didn't we? All in all, it's not a bad story at all, just not what I was led to expect.

Olga Dies Dreaming – Xochitl Gonzalez
2.5*** rounded up

I received an ARC from Flatiron books. Book’s scheduled publications date is Jan 2022.

From the book jacket: It’s 2017, and Olga and her brother Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are gold-faced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers. Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy.

My reactions
I really wanted to like this. I’d heard the author in a virtual event and felt her enthusiasm for the story and for her characters. I liked that her focus was on two successful siblings and their rise to those positions, despite parents who abandoned them and left them in the care of their loving grandmother. I liked Gonzalez’s stated focus on social issues of gentrification and the resulting displacement of families struggling to find affordable housing in an urban landscape, not to mention the changes to the neighborhoods that the influx of dollars bring. And on the personal issue of living up to expectations – of our parents, our friends, our community, ourselves – and the struggle to find one’s own path.

But I found a book with rather unlikeable characters that I just never quite connected to. I felt the “bad guys” in the book were the easy stereotypical “big business” villains. (And, yes, I know they exist and do great damage in the name of profits, but still…) And the whole intrigue with the Acevedo siblings’ mother – a revolutionary living in the mountains of Puerto Rico – never quite clicked with me either.

I did like the relationship between Prieto and Olga, though I didn’t really warm to either one of them. And I really liked Matteo and how he balanced Olga’s temperament. This is a mature man, with flaws, but still open and honest and willing to talk!

The Voyage of the Narwhal / Andrea Barrett
3.5 stars

Erasmus Darwin Wells is a naturalist from Philadelphia and is excited to be able to head to the Arctic with his friend Zeke (who is engaged to Erasmus’s sister) in 1855, a number of years after Franklin’s expedition. They hope to be able to find traces of Franklin’s missing crew, as well as any artifacts left behind. Unfortunately, Erasmus doesn’t realize how bad things will turn with Zeke as commander.

This was good. It took a while to get going, so I really didn’t get interested until they were on their way. Even while they were away, the scenes with Erasmus’s sister, Lavinia, and her friend, Alexandra, back home bored me. That entire storyline did get more interesting later on, however. I sure didn’t like Zeke (along with the majority of the characters – at least the ones on board the Narwhal!).

Rhapsody in Blood - John Morgan Wilson - (California)
Benjamin Justice -Book#7
5★
Disgraced journalist Benjamin Justice, at loose ends between jobs, takes a short vacation with a friend, Los Angeles Times reporter Alexandra Templeton, to a movie set at a faded resort hotel in the California desert. The film being shot is about a star's death in the 1950's and the lynching of a local black man for the murder--the last lynching in California. But the set is in an uproar over the appearance--and then the brutal murder--of a feared Hollywood gossip journalist who had promised to reveal 'explosive' new information. Now Justice finds himself enmeshed in two old deaths and a new murder as he attempts to uncover the truth before another falls victim.

The story is a complex, captivating mystery that approaches to teach lessons about the dangers of bigotry and the shallowness of some people, and how dangerous both can be affecting how we deal with our everyday lives. The author takes the character out of his cozy nest in West Hollywood, teaming him with longtime friend, LA Times reported Alexandra Templeton, covering the shooting of a movie at a historic hotel in the remote town of Eternal Springs, now known as "Haunted Springs" due to two murders that took place there, and which is the focus of the film being made. They meet the cast, including the 30ish male lead...a frequent subject of tabloid rumors about his sexuality whose seeming interest in Benjamin has him simultaneously flattered and flustered. When another reporter, known for her merciless "expose'" stories about celebrities, is found murdered with her throat cut (the same as the two victims that are the subject of the film), Benjamin finds himself in the middle of the mystery, with no shortage of colorful suspects around for him to choose from. Was the murderer the actor, who feared the reporter would try to "out" him, or perhaps it was the rapper with the "gangsta" image who seemed to alienate everyone, or the troublemaker midget stuntman, the hotel owner living with a troubling secret from his past, or perhaps it was the ghostlike female figure Benjamin saw on the rocks outside the hotel window, right before the murder took place? Lots of suspects all providing a really good mystery.

The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)
by Andrzej Sapkowski
4/5 stars
There are several books in this series and according to one source this book was first book to read. Geralt of Rivia is a witcher (bounty hunter). He uses his magical powers to protect fiends from hurting others. He sometimes travels with a friend named Dandelion who helps him out. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the others in the series. The Witcher Series Book One

Fun Fact -In the TV series, they changed the name of Dandelion to Jaskier, which is the character's name in Polish.

Silent Knight - Layla Reyne
Fog City Series Book #5
5 ++★
"I won’t let anything happen to you". Fourteen years ago, Braxton Kane’s feelings were forbidden. As an officer, he couldn’t fall for an enlisted…no matter how much he longed for Holt Madigan. Now — as a police chief in love with a digital assassin — his promise to always protect Holt is becoming harder to keep. "I’ll protect you". Holt doesn’t understand why his best friend has been pushing him away for months. But when Brax’s life and career are threatened, Holt refuses to allow the distance any longer. The Madigans protect their own, and Brax is family, whether he believes it or not. "I won’t let anything happen to you either." Forced together, Holt realizes his feelings for his best friend have changed. His desire to explore the promise their single night together held is undeniable. His resolve to protect the man who has always protected him is unshakable. But if Holt wants a future with Brax, he’ll have to search and destroy the person who attacked him — before Brax activates the kill switch and sacrifices himself.

Five stars doesn't begin to convey how good this book was. I finished it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. I loved every book in this series but this one was diffidently the best and of course it was saved for last. It’s the romance that makes this book so perfect. Holt Madigan is the best of the Madigan siblings. He would burn the world down for Braxton Kane and Braxton would will do the same for him. Their book starts at the very beginning, when 20- year old Holt steps off a tarmac in Afghanistan and Brax’s world starts to spin on a delicate new axis. There are several good reasons for them not to be together, but there are also great reasons for them to be together. Just when it seems like the good reasons are going to win, everything... well you'll just have to read it to see. Brax and Holt's story was almost 14 years in the coming but WHAT A STORY IT IS! This is not a standalone and the books should be read in order...which believe it or not I managed to actually do:)

GhosTV- Jordan Castillo Price - (California)
PsyCop Series Book 6
3.5★
For the past dozen years, Victor Bayne has solved numerous murders by interrogating witnesses only he can see-dead witnesses. But when his best friend Lisa goes missing from the sunny California campus of PsyTrain, the last thing he wants to find there is her spirit. Disappearing without a trace in a school full of psychics? That's some trick. But somehow both Lisa and her roommate have vanished into thin air. A group of fanatics called Five Faith has been sniffing around, and Lisa's email is compromised. Time is running out, and with no ghosts to cross-examine, Vic can't afford to turn down any offers of help. An old enemy can provide an innovative way to track Vic's missing friend, and he enters into an uneasy alliance-even though its ultimate cost will ensnare him in a debt he may never manage to settle.

This is one series that you can be totally lost with if you don't start at the beginning and sometimes you may still feel a bit lost. Each story builds on the previous ones, and the characters grow and mature, unlike many series where each installment is interchangeable, and the characters just never change for good or bad. The two main characters, Vic and Jacob are partners at work and partners in their private lives. This story seemed to be a little subdued when compared to the tone of other books in the series. There's less light sarcasm and more true bitterness. There's definitely humor in this book, but I didn't laugh nearly as often with this one as I did while reading earlier ones. Unlike with the previous stories, this one doesn't so much end on a high note. It doesn't have a bad ending, but I wasn't as happy when I finished it. Jordan Price writes very well, but for some reason this one just fell a little short for me when compared to the earlier stories in the series. Victor seemed to be less happy, not just because of complications resulting from his ability, but also because his and Jacob's relationship isn't in a particularly smooth place. I sincerely hope things improve for them in future books.

Storm Season- Elle Keaton - (Washington)
Accidental Roots Series Book #1
5★
Death brought him home, will love keep him there? Agent Adam Klay is home to bury his father, not to fall in love. Improbably, it fell into his lap. Micah Ryan's been running on remote since his family died; the arrival of Adam Klay brings to life feelings Micah never thought he'd feel again. A series of ominous events force Adam to face his feelings, can he protect Micah from a killer's crosshairs without losing his heart? Storm Season is a dual POV about a terminally grouchy Federal Agent who discovers his softer side and a sweet man who thought he had nothing to live for. The "Accidental Roots" series follows a different couple in each book as they try to stop killers and unravel a human trafficking ring.

I now have a goal of finding more books in this series. I loved the main characters and how they handled their growing attraction and ultimate relationship. The story was easy to follow as the author made the chapters fairly short, and each one had either Adam or Micah's POV, so it was always clear who was who. The narrator, Nick Gallagher, also made the story extremely enjoyable with his smooth easy to listen to voice. When one man clearing out his father's house uncovers a family forgotten, another is awakened from the fog surrounding his families deaths. These two men end up being what the other needs and someone is not happy their secrets are coming to light. A really good story that keeps you guessing throughout, with complicated characters who have great chemistry. A book well worth the readers time.

A Fall of Marigolds – Susan Meissner
Digital audiobook performed by Tavia Gilbert
3***

On the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center destruction, Taryn Michaels is confronted by an article in People magazine that shows an image of two people staring up in horror as they witness the events of 9/11. The unidentified woman in the photo is Taryn. In August 1911, nurse Clara Wood works at Ellis Island, a “place in between” where she can feel safe from her memories of witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Both women lost someone they loved in the respective tragedies, both are connected by a single scarf printed with a pattern of bright marigolds.

Meissner does a good job of weaving these stories together and moving back and forth in time across a century to explore common elements of grief, guilt, loss and PTSD. I liked Clara’s story better than that of Taryn, probably because of it’s setting on Ellis Island, and specifically at the hospital on the island where arriving immigrants who needed to be quarantined or who were otherwise ill were treated before they could complete their immigrant journey.

Both women struggle with the ethical dilemma of what (and when, if ever) to reveal or withhold to others. Do you allow someone to continue to believe what you know to be false? Is it a kindness to leave them to their illusions, or better to give them the unvarnished truth? My F2F book club had quite the discussion about this.

I did think that Clara’s insistence on holding onto a fleeting romance was a bit over the top, but then the shock of witnessing such a horrific event could explain that. Taryn’s loss was much more understandable. Though her reluctance to tell her daughter about her father was puzzling.

Tavia Gilbert does a very good job of performing the audiobook. She has a gift for dialect and was able to differentiate each of the many characters. A dual timeline can be more challenging for a listener but Gilbert handled this beautifully and I was never confused about which story I was following.

Haunted House Jack Kilborn -(South Carolina)
Book #6 of The Konrath Dark Thriller Collective
5★
BEYOND AFRAID...It was an experiment in fear. Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience. Survivors. They don't scare easily. They know how to fight back. BEYOND TRAPPED...Each is paid a million dollars to spend one night in a house. The old Butler House, where those grisly murders occurred so many years ago. A house that is supposedly haunted. BEYOND ENDURANCE...They can take whatever they want with them. Religious items. Survival gear. Weapons. All they need to do is last the night. But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil, and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality. There are much scarier things than ghosts. Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams. Things that won't let you get out alive.

You can meet the characters that are offered the million dollars to stay the night in the Butler House (it's a real place),and learn their frightening experiences that qualified them to receive the invitation in the previous 8 books. It was interesting to be brought back around to so many familiar characters, to be able to see them all in one setting. I think the idea of the book is brilliant. They all receive visits from mysterious government agents inviting them to take part in a fear study from which they'll receive a million dollars. This unlikely start is actually the best part of the book, as it builds the tension of what is to come nicely. Unfortunately the pacing is a bit off, it takes half of the book to get to the point of the test and then when it does get started it throws it all at you at once. It switches from the tense build up to shock horror very quickly, the writing is still good, but it all becomes a bit rushed. The reveal is also a bit disappointing, although there is a bit of a fun tease there. So while the book didn't quite attain the early promise it is far, far from a bad book. The writing is great and it is...in spite of the subject matter, a fun read, especially if you enjoy purer visceral horror.



In case you dare to rent a room!! Pretty place with a nasty reputation.

The Accomplice: A Novel by Lisa Lutz
352 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

in a novel that jumps between 2003, 2014, and 2019, Luna Grey harbors a secret. A few people figure it out - college friend Mason and best friend's brother Griff. Owen, her best friend, knows she has a secret, but doesn't really know what it is. Unfortunately, people around Owen and Luna tend to die. Scarlet, who would like to be Owen's girlfriend, is found dead off a hiking trail in their college town. Years later, Owen's wife is found dead after she went for a jog. Owen, Luna, and Griff need to unpack layers of suspicions as they each try to figure out what to believe.

This started out a little slowly, but quickly picked up. Many layers to tunnel through, with a few twists I hadn't seen coming.

Quicksilver - Dean Koontz - (Arizona)
4.5★
Quinn Quicksilver was born a mystery―abandoned at three days old on a desert highway in Arizona. Raised in an orphanage, never knowing his parents, Quinn had a happy if unexceptional life. Until the day of “strange magnetism.” It compelled him to drive out to the middle of nowhere. It helped him find a coin worth a lot of money. And it practically saved his life when two government agents showed up in the diner in pursuit of him. Now Quinn is on the run from those agents and who knows what else, fleeing for his life. During a shoot-out at a forlorn dude ranch, he finally meets his destined companions: Bridget Rainking, a beauty as gifted in foresight as she is with firearms, and her grandpa Sparky, a romance novelist with an unusual past. Bridget knows what it’s like to be Quinn. She’s hunted, too. The only way to stay alive is to keep moving. Barreling through the Sonoran Desert, the formidable trio is impelled by that same inexplicable magnetism toward the inevitable. With every deeply disturbing mile, something sinister is in the rearview―an enemy that is more than a match for Quinn. Even as he discovers within himself resources that are every bit as scary.

I have been a fan and a loyal follower of Dean Koontz for decades and always could count on getting a well written, exciting story from him...but his last couple of books have not really been his usual best. They're filled with way too much unnecessary description of everything from roads to towns to what the characters had for dinner. It was almost like Odd Thomas and Brother Odd had a baby and named it Quicksilver. The story got 4.5 stars from me, 1.Because it was NOT by any means a bad book and I have such fond memories of all those earlier books, and 2. Because there were some really good lines that got a chuckle...like this one..."The refrigerator was stocked with a variety of cheeses and lunch meats and at least forty bottles of Corona, and a small bowl contained four eyeballs." and "Fear of being thought cowardly by a beautiful woman is a major reason why men go to war, get in cage fights, wrestle alligators, and subject themselves to ballroom dancing lessons." And here I had always thought it was just the male gene:).

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
by Sonia Purnell
5/5 stars
This is the amazing story of Virginia Hall, a woman who had lost her leg in a hunting accident at the age of 27 and who ended up becoming a spy in World War II for the SOE (Special Operations Executive), helping to organize and aid the French Resistance. After the war, she ended up working for the CIA. Highly recommended!

Boy Meets Body Vol 2 - Josh Lanyon
4★ (Overall average for all 4 books)
Lovers and Other Strangers- 5★ - (Maine)
Recovering from a near-fatal accident, artist Finn Barret returns to Seal Island in Maine to rest and recuperate. Three years ago Finn found his lover in the arms of his twin brother. Since that day, Finn has seen neither Conlan nor Fitch. In fact, no one has seen Fitch. Did Fitch run away as everyone believes?
Ghost of a Chance- 4.5★ (California)
Over a century ago, Illusionist David Berkeley committed suicide in his mansion by the sea, thus dooming his restless spirit to wander forever. Professor Rhys Davies, a part-time parapsychologist, is writing a book on Berkeley House--the only obstacle is brooding cop and self-appointed caretaker, Sam Devlin.
A Vintage Affair 3★ ( Georgia)
Somewhere in the cobwebbed cellar of the decrepit antebellum mansion known as Ballineen are the legendary Lee bottles--and Austin Gillespie is there to find them. What he discovers is the dashing and disturbing Jeff Brady.
Blood Red Butterfly 3.5★ (California)
Despite falling in love with aloof manga artist Kai Tashiro, Homicide Detective Ryo Miller is determined to break the alibi Kai is supplying his murderous boyfriend--even if it means breaking Kai with it.

Josh Lanyon has long been one of my favorite authors...so when I saw that Amazon was offering four of her books cozied up in one 500-page volume for a ridiculously low price, I said "send me one". I had only previously read one of the books that it contained, but as with all Josh's books it was well worth rereading. My favorite of the four was Lovers and Other Strangers. I hadn't read it before and I soon developed a great deal of respect for the main character's efforts to find out exactly how his twin had died. I never in a million years would have guessed the killer's identity. My least favorite was A vintage Affair. Mostly because I 'm not a big wine freak, just give me Mogan David. One of the main characters was simply awful. Ghost of A Chance was a good ghost story and a really good mystery. It was my second favorite. Blood Red Butterfly had good possibilities but the main character that was suppose to be the "good guy" was somewhat of a "borderline baddie". I actually liked the "borderline baddie"" more. All the stories were well done in a style that can only be Josh Lanyon, and it will forever have a place of honor on my shelf of books that I will reread until the covers fall off or the print disappears...whichever comes first.

In the Frame – Helen Mirren
3***

Subtitle: My Life in Words and Pictures

I don’t read many “celebrity” memoirs, but I love Helen Mirren. She’s an accomplished actress and I’ve enjoyed virtually every movie or TV show in which I’ve seen her perform. This is her autobiography / memoir, supported by many photos.

Looking at her as a young woman, leading a rather nomadic lifestyle with a theatre troupe in Africa and across the USA, as well as in the UK, gives me a completely different perspective on her as a woman. What a free spirit! What tenacity and courage and drive! I applaud her ability to remain focused on her own goals and desires, to know what is the right thing for her career and to pursue her craft. Brava!

I also quite enjoyed learning more about her family background, including her parents’ own immigrant story coming from Russia to the English countryside.

The Plague Dogs
Richard Adams
3/5 stars
Written by the author of Watership Down, this is the story of two dogs, Rowf and Snitter, who live in a research testing facility in England where they have been experimented on and handled cruelly by the men who work there. One day, a handler did not lock them in properly and they escape from the facility causing great consternation that they may be carrying the plague and a huge man hunt for the animals ensues. I loved Adam’s Watership Down but I found that this book dragged on too long.

Dirty Kiss - Rhys Ford
Cole McGinnis Mysteries Book #1
2★
Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman’s son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man’s handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min. Jae-Min’s cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover’s trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about. It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min’s arms, and that could be a problem. Jae-Min’s cousin’s death is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence―he’s not about to lose Jae-Min too.

I have read others by this author and always liked them but this one was not exactly what I was expecting. I didn't especially like the characters, not a single one of them. There was simply nothing about these the two main characters that made me interested in them or their lives. Mere seconds after Cole meets Kim Jae Min he's in instant lust. Come on guys, what happened to a little romance? A first date? Rhys Ford's other books were very good but this one just wasn't worth the time and effort for me.

Trusting The Elements - Elle Keatin -(Washington)
Never Too Late Series Book #1
5★
If love at first sight is a fantasy, why does what they have feel so right? For the past few years Otto Proulx has been hiding in the shadows, living vicariously through others. Maybe it’s time for a change? Greg Trainor runs a kite shop and helps his friends out when they need it; that’s the kind of guy he is. When he sees a car stuck on the side of the road he stops to help, never expecting to see the stranger again. One night of passion leads to…several more and suddenly both men are searching around to define what they have together. Neither wants to scare the other off and neither wants to ask for more. Otto's out of his comfort zone and Greg has family issues; but love has its own rules and sometimes you just have to trust it will find a way.

I loved the two main characters of Greg and Otto and of course the two kittens. I also liked that Elle Keaton didn't give the guys a lot of grief to overcome to be together, just a "mistake" that Otto made when he was 18 that couldn't take "no" for an answer, but it was short lived. I like my characters to have a fair chance. Most of the secondary characters were also well done. I didn't care much for Greg's neighbor and how she pushed her little daughter off on Greg but that didn't take anything away from Greg and Otto's budding relationship. I hope that Blaise and Jack get their own book next.

The Secret of Snow - Viola Shipman -(Michigan)
4★
When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and seventy-two-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight or renegotiate its contract, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is the very place Sonny’s been avoiding since the day she left for college—her northern Michigan hometown. Sonny grudgingly returns to the long, cold, snowy winters of her childhood…with the added humiliation of moving back in with her mother. Not quite an outsider but no longer a local, Sonny finds her past blindsiding her everywhere: from the high school friends she ghosted, to the former journalism classmate and mortal frenemy who’s now her boss, to, most keenly, the death years ago of her younger sister, who loved the snow. To distract herself from the memories she's spent her life trying to outrun, Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare. But with someone trying to undermine her efforts to rebuild her career, Sonny must make peace with who she used to be and allow her heart to thaw if she’s ever going to find a place she can truly call home.

It starts off slow, but don't give up on it. I thought it was not going to be worth the time and effort to read at first. Who wants to devote time to read about an entitled woman who loses her job, has to go home, gets a new job, totally doesn't listen to anyone, not family, not friends, thinks everything has to be her way and runs from any confrontation? Once I found out what she was running from, the whole book became 100% better and began to make much more sense. Loss and grief effect different people in different ways. Sonny didn't want to have to face the loss and her own thoughts about possibly causing the tragedy. It took opening that part of her life up to self-scrutiny and sharing her issues with others to get her past the block in her heart and the block she put up around anyone getting too close. The Secret of Snow will bring you to tears, give you some laughs, and remind you that few things in life are more important than family and love.

Talker's Redemption
Talker's Graduation - Amy Lane - (California)
4.5★

Talker's Redemption - Book Two of the "Talker" series, a sequel to Talker Tate Walker's past is too painful to just disappear, even if his dream boy, Brian Cooper, is there to hold his hand. Brian does his best, but Talker—always good at avoiding his own pain—is having a hard time facing the truth about what happened when he trusted the wrong man at the wrong time. When that truth resurfaces and lands Brian in the hospital, Talker is forced to make a choice. He can either confront every demon in his fragile, bleeding heart, or he can let Brian take the heat for him, just like he has from the beginning. But even Talker knows you don't leave your dream boy alone and undefended when he just saved your life, and he’ll have to find the strength to take care of Brian when Brian needs him the most.

Talker's Graduation Book Three of the "Talker" series, sequel to Talker’s Redemption. When you get past the basics of survival, what next? Brian Cooper recovered from the attack that almost killed him, and Tate Walker faced down his own demons. Now all that’s left is... each other. Growing up together and growing into their love is everything but easy. Talker’s eternal optimism and Brian’s quiet faith just might be able to conquer the obstacles, big and small, in their way—as well as overcome the complications of having all their dreams come true.

I wanted to review these two books together because they are really short, and they complement one another with the continuing story of Talker and Brian. This is a series that needs to be read in order to understand the why's and wherefores. Talker is a hyper young man, physically scarred from a horrible accident when he was 5 that left him burned and disfigured, emotionally scarred from a brutal attack, but finally settled with the young man who sees past his scars to the brave man inside. Brian is a country mouse, quiet, strong, in love with the boy he has loved since he sat beside him on the bus to their first track meet in college. Brian is also recovering from a horrible beating he took to avenge the attack on the love of his life in book 2. all 3 explorations of Talker and Brian's lives are stories that show how love redeems, strengthens and inspires. Talker finally, finally knows bone deep Brian is his and his WORSE. DATE. EVER. as he recalls it in capital letters has not ruined him but strengthened the relationship between, he and Brian. Brian finally, is free to expresses his huge heart, and all the love he has for Talker. They both learn that "happily ever after" is much more than a cliche.

A Short Time To Die - Susan Bickford - (New York, California)
4.5★
Walking home on a foggy night, Marly Shaw stops in the glare of approaching headlights. Two men step out of a pickup truck. One of them is her stepfather. A sudden, desperate chase erupts in gunshots. Both men are left dead. And a terrified girl is on the run—for the rest of her life . . . Thirteen years later, human bones discovered in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California are linked to a mother and son from Central New York. Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Detective Vanessa Alba and her partner, Jack Wong, dive into an investigation that lures them deep into the Finger Lakes. They find a community silenced by the brutal grip of a powerful family bound by a twisted sense of blood and honor, whose dark secrets still haunt the one family member who thought she got away.

I found the story to be very well written, the characters to be believable and mostly likeable. Overall, it was compelling and engaging, with just enough lightness to keep me reading. It moves gradually through the past to meet the present in well-executed flips back and forth in time that are easy to follow. I read somewhere that this is the authors debut novel, but it reads as if she has been writing her entire life. Anyone that reads and enjoys mysteries will find that there are parts that are predictable, but it didn't take anything away from the enjoyment of the story. I'm looking forward to more by Susan Bickford.

The Haunting of Blackwater Cottage - Clay Wise - (Massachusetts)
Haunted House Mystery series Book #40
3★
Recently widowed, Alicia Hawkins can no longer live in the New York apartment she shared with her husband. She leaves the city behind for a small fishing village in Duxbridge, Massachusetts, where she purchases a rundown house the locals have dubbed Blackwater Cottage. But the quiet life and beautiful views are disrupted by secret notes and unexplained phenomena. During renovations, Alicia discovers an old leather-wrapped diary hidden between the studs of a bedroom wall. She can’t help but wonder who it belonged to and why the locals are so determined to get her to leave, but the diary may hold the answers to Blackwater Cottage’s disturbing history.

Alicia, (Ally), evidently hadn't read many haunted house books or she was just naive or plain stupid. Deciding that she needed a change in her life she goes on the internet and buys a cottage on the ocean in Massachusetts...sight unseen. It's an early 1800's house, but it has rarely been occupied since being first built. Now wouldn't you wonder why few people have lived in it in over 200 years??? Maybe because it's HAUNTED!!! Just ask anyone in the small town and they'll tell you the folklore of what supposedly happened all those years ago....and they didn't hesitate to tell our girl, Ally. Did she believe them??? Of course not. Oh, she believes there is something in the house besides herself but... ready for this? The ghosts just want her to help them solve a mystery...about what really happened to the original owners. The story wasn't scary in the least and "The Ghost Story Junkie" wants a bit more than ghosts waiting around 200 years for the internet to be invented so some woman can buy their house and help them solve a 200-year-old mystery. It got 3 stars because it's not at all a bad story, but for a real haunted house, ghost loving enthusiast, the scariest part of the book would be the cover.

Interlude, Snow and Winters Collection - C.S. Poe - (New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania)
Part of the Snow and Winters Collection Vol1 (short stories)
5★
Interlude is a collection of short stories spanning the complete timeline of the Snow & Winter series, beginning with The Mystery of Nevermore, to after the conclusion of The Mystery of the Bones. They feature the point of view of Sebastian Snow and Calvin Winter and consist of mini mysteries, as well as scenes from daily life.

Anyone that loves these two characters... antique emporium owner and amateur sleuth, Sebastian Snow and his now husband, NYPD Detective Calvin Winters, will love this little offering. It takes up where the book length tales leave off letting us glimpse briefly into what the two have been up to between the full length books. It's funny, it's warm, it's just what we fans needed while waiting and hoping that there is going to be another book in this series. Sebestian and Calvin have been married about 2 years when these insights take place. We see them search frantically for a new apartment...we follow them on the dream vacation that Calvin plans as a surprise for Sebastian...we watch Calvin search the walls of the new apartment for the "person" that he's sure is living there...just the everyday lives of our two favorite people as they fall more in love with one another. This little 157-page delight is a fantastic gift for all fans of these two sweet guys. Thank you Ms. Poe for this little treasure chest that allows us to be the "fly on the wall". Since it's Volume 1, can we dare hope that there will be a Vol 2, and 3 and 4 after maybe another dozen or more books in the series?

Darke Accused - Parker Avrile
A Darke and Flare Mystery Book #1
5★
An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a thief who turns out to be too hot to handle. Darke Davis destroyed evidence to give his partner-in-crime time to flee with thirty-nine million dollars— and Special Agent Flare Greene is determined to get that money back. Hooking up with Darke at a popular gay roadhouse seems like a brilliant way to insinuate his way into Darke's life. Flare didn't plan on the two of them stumbling over a body and finding themselves on the run from charges of first-degree murder. It's the perfect opportunity to bond with Darke, but if they can't work together to solve these crimes, they may find themselves locked up together for longer than just one night.

Darke and Flare...I love their names, but what is the chance of that really happening? Given their history, particularly Darke's, you have to be willing to simply enjoy some fairly rapid fall-in-love romance mixed in with a really good murder mystery. Sometimes the mystery overtakes the romance, but that's okay. The book alternates first person points of view between Darke and Flare, which helps the reader to know what the characters are really thinking and feeling. There is also a lot of double-dealing going on. Although we get the first-person point of view, we also get little of their thoughts and feels beyond the case and each other. Angst is relatively low...these are action hero guys not given to wallowing in the mire of past events. It was not your usual love story, but it felt like it was just the right one for them. Looking forward to joining these two again.

Last Seen Alive - Jane Bettany
Isabelle Blood Series Book #3
4★
When Anna Matheson fails to collect her son from the babysitter after a work party, the police are swiftly called. Anna is a stickler for time and a good mother...she would never abandon her baby. Her disappearance is totally out of character and DI Isabel Blood and her team soon suspect foul play. CCTV footage shows Anna was last seen at precisely 11.11pm, as she collected her coat to leave the party. But the cameras outside the venue have failed to pick up her exit from the car park – how could she have vanished in plain sight? Rumor has it that Anna was set to make big changes in the workplace, and Isabel can’t help but think someone wanted her out of the way. Everyone at the party is a suspect, and all the clues point to murder.

Detective Isobel Blood's team is a group of believable detectives...no superheroes...no "Kojak Wanna-Be's"...just hard-working people doing a sometimes thankless job. Isabel herself is smart and capable, and fair, but also has issues in her personal life to deal with, like her adult son, Bailey. This is an intriguing, well-written, well-plotted story that is rich with secrets, and surprises. Overall an enjoyable read. If you are a fan of Ann Cleave's Vera series or her Shetland Island series, which I am...you will more than likely like Isabelle and her team.

Night Hawks - Elly Griffith (England)
Ruth Galloway series Book #13
5★
Ruth is back as head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk when a group of local metal detectorists—the so-called Night Hawks—uncovers Bronze Age artifacts on the beach, alongside a recently deceased body, just washed ashore. Not long after, the same detectorists uncover a murder-suicide—a scientist and his wife found at their farmhouse, long thought to be haunted by the Black Shuck, a humongous black dog, a harbinger of death. The further DCI Nelson probes into both cases, the more intertwined they become, and the closer they circle to David Brown, the new lecturer Ruth has recently hired, who seems always to turn up wherever Ruth goes.

Treasure hunters who call themselves Night Hawks are prowling a Norfolk beach at night armed with metal detectors, hoping to find a hoard of Bronze Age coins when the story begins. What they find is more than they bargained for and brings DCI Nelson on the scene, and of course forensic archeologist, Dr. Ruth Galloway. The relation between Ruth and Nelson reaches a whole new level of attraction and irritation. I didn't care for Nelson’s new female boss who keeps trying to “have a word” with him and nagging him to retire. We have a cruel and repellant scientist, an arrogant new lecturer in the anthropology department, and a huge legendary black dog whose terrifying appearances portend death. There are murders aplenty, but love shares the stage with crime. How could you ask for anything more? The story is transgressive, surprising, and sometimes even humorous. Another 5-star addition to this series.

This Tender Land / William Kent Krueger
3.5 stars

Odie, 12-years old, and older brother Albert, are orphans and the only white boys at the Lincoln Indian Training School in the 1930s. There is abuse at the school, but there are also people who help, like teacher Cora Frost. Tragedy hits for Cora’s 5-year old daughter, Emmy, as Odie is being punished (again) for something and it’s not long before Odie, Albert, and their indigenous friend Mose take Emmy away from there, but they need to hide from the headmistress of the school, who wanted Emmy to be hers and is now looking for them. They use a canoe and follow the river to get away; of course, they meet all kinds of people along the way, some who will help, some who won’t.

Good, but I could do without the magical bits; I prefer more realistic. There are some surprises at the end. There is also a good author’s note at the end discussing residential schools, the Great Depression and religious revival tours (the four “kids” come across one of these in their travels).

The Lacuna / Barbara Kingsolver
1 star

I have no summary: Washington, Mexico, servants?, politics, something about the Soviet Union, communism, Trotsky, something with art?

I have never given 1 star before. This would have been my 3rd ever (I think – maybe 2nd) DNF if I wasn’t reading it for a challenge. As I do with books I’m not liking, I ended up skimming, hoping something would catch my attention, but it didn’t happen. Sadly, this is an author I usually like.

The Keepers - Tan Van Hulzen -(Massachusetts)
5★
Everyone in Titicut Township knew Carl Jenkins suffered from paranoid delusions, but what truly haunted him was far darker in nature. Whatever the small-town talk, only Carl and the shadow force of keepers (headed by Chief of Police, Elias Hicks) knew the truth. There is evil in the swamp—the place where spirits dwell. When outsider and city reporter, Don Williams, arrives to investigate a 1973 cold case involving Carl Jenkins and the disappearance of three men, Hicks knew time was running out. The secret order he swore to protect was under threat of exposure. As chief of police and head of The Keepers, his charge was two-fold: appease the warring spirits in the realm of the dead and protect the faithful against God's adversary. Hicks ordered Titicut locked down and called a meeting beneath the old meeting house, but something went wrong. It was the first time in the order's dark history a member would violate their oath of secrecy placing all within the township at risk. What only Hicks and the order knew is there were some secrets so grave, that if ever unearthed, not even God himself could save them.

I did really, really, really like this book! I understand that it's the authors debut novel and that it may also be part of a series. If all this author's books turn out to be like this one, he has a life-long fan here. I checked with "Mr. Google and found that the location of Bridgewater Triangle is a real place in Massachusetts. It appears that it is a place with a very eerie reputation and a place that you don't want to include in your vacation plans. Just take a long, long detour around. Think of it like the "Bermuda Triangle" but scarier with a more evil reputation. I found the characters were not all likeable. They ranged from fun to sad to "bring on the men in white" disturbed...but they were all entirely believable. Excitable barely describes the story. I read it in one setting because I simply couldn't leave it alone.. As I finished the last few pages, I knew was ready for more..

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Adam Kay
5/5 stars
This is the diaries that Adam Kay kept while being a resident in the National Health Service in the UK. After 12 years in school and working as a doctor, he quit his job. Fortunately for him, he wrote this book and ended up selling about 1.5 million books. I enjoyed this immensely and could empathize with him and the pain he dealt with treating the sick and their families, working non-stop, missing meals and sleep, dealing with administrators and the constant change in policies. Great book!

The Dark Horse/The White Knight (California)
4★
The Dark Horse - Josh Lanyon
Paul Hammond is dead. That's what tough and sexy LAPD Detective Daniel Moran tells his lover, Hollywood actor Sean Fairchild - and Sean wants to believe him, but what about those threatening postcards in Hammond's handwriting? What about the fact that he's seeing Hammond everywhere he goes? Yes, Sean's had some emotional problems in the past, but that was a long time ago and he's not imagining things, so why is Dan looking at him that way?
The White Knight - Josh Lanyon
It's a Hollywood cliché: the hot and handsome bodyguard. But in the case of LAPD Detective Daniel Moran, it's all true. Dan is everything Sean ever wanted in a leading man, but Dan's kind of an old-fashioned guy. It's his job to keep Sean safe and in one piece - happy is someone else's problem.

Two novella length books that were early works of Josh Lanyon. It's been published as two stories in the same book and as single copies. It has been said that her later Adrien English series characters of Adrien and Jake were based on the characters of Daniel Moran and Sean Fairchild. I was a bit confused with exactly where she was going with the plot here. Not that it was bad but by the second book, The White Knight, I was beginning to wonder if Dan, who seemed to be very real in the first book, The Dark Horse might have been a figment of Sean's fragile but vivid imagination. Actually, the two books with the different POV's would have been better if they had been combined into one. The story was good after I finally got it sorted out, and I really liked the way it ended. I love Josh Lanyon's work, and this early one was worthy of 4 stars. I couldn't help but think of all the treasures she was going to turn out after this one.

Home Before Dark / Riley Sager
4 stars

Maggie has been away from the house she lived in for only about 3 weeks when she was 5-years old for 25 years. She remembers nothing about the house, but her father wrote a book about the ghosts and hauntings that happened in the house that drove them from it. Maggie believes it’s all lies. Her father has just died and her mother would never talk to her about the house. They only ever said she should never go back, as it’s dangerous for her. But on her father’s death, Maggie learns that her parents never sold the house and it’s now Maggie’s! As an interior designer, she decides to go back to the house to renovate to sell. And, of course, to try to find out what really happened at that house…

I really liked this. I listened to the audio. I thought it was appropriately creepy! It went back and forth between Maggie’s current day viewpoint and her father’s viewpoint from the time to weave the story together.

Careless Love - Peter Robinson (England)
Inspector Banks series Book #25
3★
Two suspicious deaths challenge DS Alan Banks and his crack investigative team. The body of an attractive young woman dressed in evening attire is found in an abandoned car on a country road. The death looks like suicide, but there are too many open questions for Banks and his team to rule out foul play. The car didn’t belong to her—it was badly damaged in an accident involving the vehicle’s owner a week earlier in the same spot. So how did the dead girl get inside the car? Did someone place her there, and if so, why? Where—and when—did she die? While Banks attends the postmortem, DI Annie Cabot is at the scene of another death. A well-dressed man in his sixties has been found in a gully high up on the wild moorland. His injuries were fatal and consistent with those sustained in a fall. Was it an accident—did the man get too close to the edge and slip? Was he pushed? The man was wearing an expensive suit. What was he doing in a rocky spot popular with hikers? There are no signs of a vehicle near where he fell. How did he get there? Banks’s and Cabot’s cases share a few curious similarities. Both of the dead were found in the same area of the moorlands. Both were elegantly dressed. The timing of their deaths coincided. And neither carried identification. As the police uncover who these people were and begin to look into their lives, inconsistencies multiply and the mysteries surrounding the two cases proliferate. Then a source close to Annie reveals a piece of information that rocks the Eastvale detectives working both investigations. An old enemy has returned in a new guise—a nefarious foe who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get what he wants. With the stakes raised, the hunt is on. But will Banks and his crack squad be able to find the evidence to stop him in time?

It's been quiet sometime since I have read anything in this series, but it was always an author and a series that I could count on for a good mystery and a well written story with an interesting plot and "real to life" characters. This one was a bit of a disappointment. It's almost as if Mr. Robinson has run out of ideas and is filling the gaps with thoughts about life and loss. Guess Alan Banks is getting old and maybe not too gracefully. There was also a lot of unnecessary details of Alan Banks musing about his past, the women in his life, and his music. I understand him thinking about the things in his life but really, Peter...what did any of that even have to do with, or advance the story? The ending had more about the next novel than it did the conclusion of this one. I know how good this author is and I have loved Alan Banks since the series began so I will give the story 3 stars...but I hope this trend doesn't continue.

Dyatlov Pass -Donnie Eichar - (Russia)
4.5★
In February 1959, a group of friends went on a ski-hiking trip to a remote mountain in the northern Urals. Something killed them...When a rescue expedition eventually found their camp, they discovered that for some unknown reason, the nine friends had cut their way out of their tent (instead of simply opening the flaps) and fled down the mountain, half undressed and without their shoes. Some had died of hypothermia, while others had strange injuries which one medical examiner stated were consistent with a high-speed car crash. One of them had apparently had her tongue removed. Alarmed and mystified, the Soviet government classified the case as top secret and closed off the region to all civilians for the next three years. Years later, a man is discovered wandering in the wilderness, exhausted and terrified...Dylatov Pass is based on the decades-long mystery that haunted Russia.

I had read about the Dyatlov Pass incident several years ago and it fascinated me based on the "supernatural" feel of what had happened or what the authorities "thought" had probably happened, so when I found this book I thought it would be interesting to explore perhaps another point of view, after all it had been 63 years without any real answers, just speculation. The author did a great job of presenting all the facts that have been put out there over all those years. Eventually the pace and suspense picks up leading to a compelling explanation that literally borders on cosmic horror. The book kept me reading hoping to understand what was going on but at the end I am still puzzled. Some of the explanations I have read before, some are the stuff of "Science Fiction Theater", but as the quote goes..."There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” I am not going to hash out the plot because basically it was a bunch of interviews with the key players and was very vague until the end. Even at the end there is the smell of mystery and the truth is, that what they found was in itself simply inexplicable. I respected the author for telling the story without adding embellishments that would have boosted book sales but would have been no closer to the truth. If you are interested in the real life mystery of Dyatlov Pass, I’d suggest this would be a good, honest start.

Morning My Angel - Sue Brown
Angel Securities Series, Book #1
5★
In London to find the missing partner of his security firm, Josh Cooper constantly clashes with his new UK partner, charismatic, but arrogant Cal Ross. It should have been a simple case of finding the man. But Josh is dealing with conflicting agendas, both with the assignment and his love life. There’s no doubt of the physical attraction between him and Cal, but Josh is also involved with the mysterious Charlie, his long-term cyber-relationship. Who will he choose?
Josh’s heart is tied up with Charlie, his head is with Cal, and his missing persons case has taken a sinister turn. Now there’s a new target. Him. Will Cal rescue him before he becomes fish bait?

Josh Cooper is a tad obnoxious in his behavior and obviously his boss thought so also since Josh soon found himself and his team on a plane headed to the London office for an "undisclosed" period of time...to help in the search for a person that disappeared 3 weeks ago. It was pretty clear to everyone but Josh, that he should probably start learning to appreciate tea more than coffee. This is not their usual job so Josh doesn't understand why he and his team are working on this case, not to mention they're suppose to actually work with the London team who they soon found were not as forth coming about too many of any of the details. To make things worse, he is VERY attracted to Cal, one of the operatives they work with. He is conflicted about Cal because he truly cares for Charlie even though Charlie is a guy he hasn't met yet...in person that is. You can see where this is going even if you have never read an M/M romance book. Cal has many secrets, and though they slowly unravel there is still quite a surprise at the end. I really didn't see that one coming. It was great meeting Josh and watching him try to make sense of his complicated life. The twin bodyguards, the London team and all those little characters we've met along the way made this story feel genuine and also made it engaging and enjoyable. Josh's banter with everyone was fun... and oh yeah...he really, really missed his coffee.

Pretty, Pretty Boys – Gregory Ashe - (Missouri)
4.5★
After Emery Hazard loses his job as a detective in Saint Louis, he heads back to his hometown--and to the local police force there. Home, though, brings no happy memories, and the ghosts of old pain are very much alive in Wahredua. Hazard’s new partner, John-Henry Somerset, had been one of the worst tormentors, and Hazard still wonders what Somerset’s role was in the death of Jeff Langham, Hazard’s first boyfriend. When a severely burned body is discovered, Hazard finds himself drawn deeper into the case than he expects. Determining the identity of the dead man proves impossible, and solving the murder grows more and more unlikely. But as the city’s only gay police officer, Hazard is placed at the center of a growing battle between powerful political forces. To his surprise, Hazard finds an unlikely ally in his partner, the former bully. And as they spend more time together, something starts to happen between them, something that Hazard can’t--and doesn’t want--to explain. The discovery of a second mutilated corpse, though, reveals clues that the two murders are linked, and as Hazard gets closer to answers, he uncovers a conspiracy of murder and betrayal that goes deeper--and closer to home--than he could ever expect.

Emery Hazard is a mess with a capital “M” and the man who is mostly responsible for that is right there to greet him on his first day on the new job. Why he ever came back to his hometown was a big mystery to me. He was now a thirty something year old man that never got over his terrible experiences in high school. Going back home meant going back to the close-minded, bigoted little community he left 15 years ago, and facing the 3 bullies who tortured him in high school because he was gay. To make matters worse he found himself partnered with none other than John-Henry Somerset, the very guy that was the leader of those 3 bullies. It was a shock that awoke all his defenses...but John-Henry, the culprit, was trying to apologize without making an actual apology. It wasn’t working for either of them...but they had a dead body showing up so they had a case to solve...and they were going to have to somehow work together to do it. This is not by any means an instant love story despite that there is an undeniable attraction and a nasty history going back 15 years. It’s not going to be enemies to lovers, but more enemies to worse enemies to maybe working friends, but can they ever be anymore? I believe that we, the readers, are in for a long haul to see these two ever get together before they kill on another. Gregory Ashes' books are not known for "happy ever after's", but I do want to see how the future pans out for Hazard and John-Henry, so I will probably read their other books.

Last Gasp - S.C. Wynne - (Florida)
Kip O’Connor series Book #1
5★
Kip O’Connor lives a simple life in the little seaside town of Pearl Bay. Unless its tourist season, things tend to be pretty peaceful. There is, however, one never ending source of irritation in the form of Police Chief Merrick Dawson. Merrick is Kip’s older brother’s BFF, and nothing seems to bring Merrick more joy than nagging Kip about silly things. You’d think a Police Chief would have more important things to do than lecture Kip on parking tickets and picking up pet waste, but somehow Merrick always finds the time. Kip decides to take an art class at the local community college, and he’s annoyed to find Merrick has also enrolled in the course. The instructor takes a shine to Kip, and soon they become friends outside of class. Merrick warns Kip of the dangers of blurring those lines and befriending his teacher, but Kip is flattered by the attention. When his art teacher is found stabbed through the forehead with a palette knife, Kip is determined to figure out who killed his new friend. Merrick naturally thinks Kip getting involved in the investigation is a horrible idea, but when has Kip ever listened to that irksome, pig-headed Merrick Dawson?

I’m not a big fan of cozy mysteries of any genre...even M/M ones. This one was cute for lack of a better word. I’m not a prude and I don’t mind gratuitous sex in any books but I don’t NEED it to make the story interesting. This one was in the books that my “book bringing buddies” brought to me and it had a really, cute cover ...so I thought “why not?”. It was just a really good mystery with normal people who just happened to be gay... and that described Kip. There were mostly likeable characters, dogs (always a plus in any book), an authentic small-town feel, an interesting, but sinister plot that did its job of entertaining, believable tension between the main characters due to growing up together, and … no instantaneous "friends-to-lovers" stuff The only thing that I found in the book that was difficult for me to believe was that the author spend the time and effort creating this wonderful character of Kip and then made him the most clueless amateur sleuth I have ever found in any book. It’s a wonder there are any more books in the series featuring him.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (NYC, of course!)
5*****

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J.P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white--her complexion is dark because she is African American.

What an absolutely fantastic, wonderful, heartbreaking book. The vision of the so-powerful J.P. Morgan to want to use his wealth to collect the written word and the books that contain beauty so that they would be preserved in one place for all time. And this smart, driven woman, with a love for beauty and art was there as his agent and personal librarian at its inception.

I had heard of "passing" all my life, whether in low tones from classmates or in literary reference when discussing lives of African Americans in the post-slavery era. But this was the first time that passing was discussed as a heart-wrenching decision that affected not just the person who wishes to pass but also family, friends, and social graces. How Belle could never look a "colored" servant in the eye lest s/he see the truth.

The Morgan Library holds a special place in my heart as well: the exhibit "Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth" was one I went to and it was absolutely amazing. The artistic ability of such a favorite author was not something I had expected, and the many different languages spoken by other visitors at the exhibit brought to light the importance of Tolkien's work. And was a real-life example of the vision Morgan and Belle had of the importance of literature to all the world.

Somebody Killed His Editor - (California)
Holmes & Moriarity Series Book 1
5★
Thanks to an elderly spinster sleuth and her ingenious cat, Christopher Holmes has enjoyed a celebrated career as a bestselling mystery writer. Until now. Sales are down and his new editor is allergic to geriatric gumshoes. On the advice of his agent, he reinvents his fortyish, frumpy, recently dumped self into the sleek, sexy image of a literary lion, and heads for a Northern California writers conference to try and resurrect his career. A career nearly as dead as the body he stumbles over in the woods. In a weirdly déjà vu replay of one of his own novels, he finds himself stranded in an isolated lodge full of frightened women, and not a lawman in sight. Except for J.X. Moriarity, former cop and bestselling novelist. The man with whom he shared a one-night stand - okay, maybe three - long ago. The man who wants to arrest him for murder. A ruthless, stalking killer, or a hot, handsome ex-lover. Which poses the greater danger? It's elementary, my dear Holmes!

I am a BIG, BIG Josh Lanyon fan as most of you have probably figured out by now. This series is going to be as good as everything else she has written. There's just enough lightheartedness to keep the story from being too dark and heavy for those that are not fans of blood and gore, but yet the details of the killings are all there. The two main characters balance each other well. Kit is the one who generally leaps without looking, though he's well aware he should and as a result he doesn't always land on his feel. JX is the more level-headed one, offering stability to the story that gives him emotions that Kit doesn't possess. The way they feel for each other, even after a decade apart is absolutely perfect. and heartwarming. Their world is very real and engaging. It’s a story with likeable, warm and lovable, characters. They may not necessarily be made from the stuff of heroes, but they will win their way into your heart merely by their fallibility.

Alone Together: A Pandemic Photo Essay / Leah Hennel
5 stars

Leah Hennel is a Calgary photographer who was working for Alberta Health Services before the COVID-19 pandemic began. During the pandemic, she was there to take photos in the hospitals, at COVID testing sites, at vaccine clinics, and more. The photos in the book start with testing, progress through various groups and celebrations and how they handled distancing and lockdowns, continue in the ICUs and hospitals, and on to vaccine clinics.

Some of these photos are very powerful. There was a photo that made the rounds early in the pandemic here in the Calgary media and on social media, so it extended to Canada and likely beyond: a doctor is on his knees on the phone with his forehead in his hand as he tells a family their loved one has died. This book has many more photos and stories to go with them. Not all sad, though. There is a photo of a 90-something year old man with a party hat as he gets his first vaccine. There are photos of the therapy dogs coming to “visit” with hospital staff to try to relieve some of the stress. A powerful look at the pandemic. (I almost said “back” at the pandemic, but it is still happening.)

Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies
Alastair Bonnett
4/5 stars
While most of us live in suburbs, cities and in the countryside, Bonnett explores the unusual places that people live in, including cities that have changeable boundaries, islands where people live on that can disappear and reappear with the changing of sea levels, people who live on ships year round and he also discussed the re-population of cities that had been abandoned like Chernobyl and Wittenoom in Australia which was closed due to asbestos which was mined there. Very interesting! Geography

They Called Us Enemy / George Takei
4 stars

“Star Trek” actor George Takei was only a little boy when Pearl Harbour was bombed. His family, living in Los Angeles, was soon rounded up to taken to a camp for Japanese “enemy aliens”, even if they were born in the U.S. (as his mother was). This graphic novel looks back at his time in the camps, and leads up to current day, with a primary focus on how the Japanese were treated at this time.

This was really good. The illustrations were simple, but I thought done very nicely. As such a young boy, along with his parents doing their best to protect him and his younger siblings, he often thought they were on an adventure. Sad how things start to repeat themselves; people just don’t learn.

The Investigator - John Sandford - (Texas)
Letty Davenport Series Book #1
2.5★
By age twenty-four, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job for U.S. Senator Colles. Letty’s ready to quit, but her skills have impressed Colles, and he offers her a carrot: feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security. Several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude, Colles tells her. He isn’t so much concerned with the oil as he is with the money: who is selling the oil, and what are they doing with the profits? Rumor has it that a fairly ugly militia group might be involved. Colles wants to know if the money is going to them, and if so, what they’re planning. Letty is partnered with a DHS investigator, John Kaiser, and they head to Texas. When the case quicky turns deadly, they know they’re on the track of something bigger. The militia group has set in motion an explosive plan . . . and the clock is ticking down.

I feel awful about the rating that I gave this book, I feel like I have lost an old and dear friend. I loved John Sandford’s early “Prey” novels where Lucas was just a slightly dirty cop who hunted killers but always had a sense of justice and respect for right, and a no tolerance policy for wrong. I read every single one of them...some more than once. I even liked most of the books when Lucas Davenport became more "in power" for the law enforcement in his state...and before he became a political operative. The Virgil Flowers books and the characters that appeared in them were some of the bests. Virgil’s cockiness and humor made him a very believable and real-life character. Joining forces with Lucas made the books even better. Now...we come to a series featuring Lucas’s daughter...Letty. Humm.... John Sandford has, for some unknown reason, gotten caught up and now swings way too far on the side of politics. I hear enough about this without it infiltrating my choice reading material. There were several situations that he wrote into this story that are probably extremely sensitive topics for certain regions of the county and perhaps shouldn’t have even been as big a part of this story or have been there at all...much less portraying this untrained young woman, even if she is Davenport’s daughter, as an expert on them. Letty's character didn't "age" well. She was so different and quite frankly...overbearing and unlikeable. Nothing like she was when she first appeared in the books as a pre-teen and grew into an adult. For most of the book, she is an impossibly, and unnecessarily, rude, crude and obnoxious know-it-all. I really don't think that I’m going to devote any more reading time to this series. Rest in Peace old friend.

In One Person / John Irving
3 stars

William (Bill/Billy) is in boarding school and a young teen when he begins to question why he has crushes on the “wrong people”. He has a crush on one of the wrestlers in school, and also the older (woman) librarian; he also has a crush on a friend’s mother, as well as his own stepfather. In the book, he is an older man (bisexual) and looking back on his life and his relationships over the decades.

I thought this was ok. There was a lot of sex. Of all kinds. Have to admit I got a bit tired of that after a while. But, I thought it got a bit more interesting (and sad) in the 80s when AIDS hit. To see him watch so many people he knew die of AIDS… Initially I was a bit confused with the storyline, as it was a bit back and forth in time and trying to keep track of who was whom and when they were in his life, but after a while, I think I got used to that. I was a bit surprised at how many people in this small town were lgbtq+, though. Maybe there weren’t as many as I thought, as it was spread out over time, but it seemed like a lot.

Ghost Detective - Scott Willam Carter
Myron Vale Investigation Series Book #1 - (Oregon)
4.5★
Everybody dies. Nobody leaves. After narrowly surviving a near-fatal shooting, Portland detective Myron Vale wakes with a bullet still lodged in his brain, a headache to end all headaches, and a terrible side effect that radically transforms his world for the worse: He sees ghosts. Lots of them. By some estimates, a hundred billion people have lived and died before anyone alive today was even born. For Myron, they’re all still here. That’s not even his biggest problem. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t tell the living from the dead. Despite this, Myron manages to piece together something of a life as a private investigator specializing in helping people on both sides of the great divide — until a stunning blonde beauty walk into his office needing help finding her husband. Myron wants no part of the case until he sees the man’s picture . . . and instantly his carefully reconstructed life begins to unravel.

In some ways it made me think of a marriage between Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas and the TV’ series, "Ghost Whisperer” ...and that was in a good way. P.I. Myron Vale seems to have been twice cursed. A lingering injury causes him to not only see and interact with the multitude of ghosts everyone else is unaware of, but he also can’t tell them from the living. I can see this being described as a paranormal romance filled with betrayals and heartache. It is a story about a horrible con man, who, through his insidious actions inserts himself into the lives of various people, infecting them with corruption and despair. The saving grace for the tale is that it also contains redemption and hope despite the prevailing atmosphere of sadness. The author struggled a bit in his attempt to bring the reader to the understanding of “how, why where and when” that Myron Vale becomes the “Ghost Detective.” It's a well told, ghostly, paranormal tale that pleased the “Ghost Story Junkie”. The very idea and the originality of this story alone earns it 4.5 stars.

The Women’s March – Jennifer Chiaverini
Audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
4****

Subtitle: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession

As the subtitle suggest, this novel focuses on the women who risked their liberty, and their lives, to win the vote for women, including women of color. Chiaverini focuses on three of the most important suffragists of the day: Alice Paul, Maud Malone, and Ida B Wells-Barnett, to tell the story of how the idea for the march was conceived and the struggles they faced in planning for the event.

In order for women to be allowed to vote, the men who held the power, had to be the ones to grant that power, and let’s be clear, it was white men who held the power. And they were not willing to do so. The women who demonstrated were frequently taunted and assaulted by onlookers. No matter how peacefully they tried to ask a political candidate, “Do you support women’s suffrage?” they were taunted and jeered at by the men in the crowd, bodily ejected by a group of policemen, and like as not, arrested.

But the women, themselves, were hardly united. The National American Woman Suffrage Association – known simply as “the National” – was focused on gaining suffrage rights for women on a state-by-state basis. Alice Paul, who had been offered a position organizing their open-air meetings, felt strongly that the way to go was to push for a constitutional amendment, and one that would include ALL women, including blacks, a stance that alienated the women suffrage organizations in the South.

Chiaverini brings these historical figures to life. The chapters alternate between these three central figures, showing how each approached the issue and the unique challenges each faced. The scenes of the march itself, and the near disaster it became due to the failure of the Police Superintendent to provide adequate security, are harrowing. And I felt as disheartened as the women themselves must have felt when they finally had a meeting with President Wilson and he dismissed them stating, “I have no opinion on woman suffrage. I’ve never given the subject any thought.”

That first national march was a triumph of organization and courage, but it would be another seven years, until August 1920, before the Eighteenth Amendment was finally ratified.

While the novel itself is interesting and engaging, I really enjoyed the author’s notes at the end, where Chiaverini gives more details on what happened after the march. I had not realized before that Alice Paul drafted the first Equal Rights Amendment in 1922. I recall the attention the ERA received in the 1970s. It has yet to be ratified.

Saskia Maarleveld does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and Chiaverini’s writing helped to keep all these various female characters clearly defined.

Boy Meets Body Volume 1 - Josh Lanyon
5★ for all 4 books
Cards on the Table -A novella previously published as Partners in Crime - (California)
Fifty years ago, a glamorous Hollywood party ended in murder--the only clue a bloody Tarot card. Reporter Timothy North is trying to find out what happened that long ago summer's night.

Mummy Dearest - (Wyoming)
Drew Lawson is racing against the clock. He's got a twenty-four-hour window to authenticate the mummy of Princess Merneith. If he's not at his boyfriend's garden party when that window closes, it'll be the final nail in their relationship's coffin.

Don't Look Back - (California)
Peter Killian, curator at Constantine House in Los Angeles, wakes in the hospital to find himself accused of stealing a Tenth Century Chinese sculpture.

Kick Start- (Oregon)
Former DS Agent Will Brandt is finally braced to bring his partner in work and romance Taylor MacAllister home to meet the folks. Unfortunately, not every member of the Brandt clan loves Taylor the way Will does.

Four of Josh Lanyon’s books in one volume. I also have Volume 2 with yet another 4 of her books. Needless to say, I am “A HAPPY CAMPER”. I had read the series that Kick Start is a part of and also Don’t Look Back} ...but hey, its Josh Lanyon and I now OWN all 8 of these books and can reread to my heart's content, which I do often with favorite authors. I can’t say that I have a “lest favorite "with any of these stories...but I believe my #1 favorite was Mummy Dearest. Who wouldn’t love a story that has a mummy chasing you through the neighborhood on Halloween night?? It was also a good love story...not with the mummy, but with the two main character guys that happened to meet while each was doing their jobs in this small Wyoming town, and who did not necessarily like one another to start with, (common story line in any type of romance story), but soon discovered they had a lot in common and a lot to offer one another. I really liked the series that Kick Start was a part of but I hated the actions of one of the characters and how nonchalant he was about his partners feelings in one book of the series...not this one. This story was a good one to include in this book. It was, I believe the 3rd in the series and things were fairly well settled with Will and Taylor by the time this one appeared. Don’t Look Back is a fun, old fashioned, high quality whodunnit. As I’ve said before, I know there have had some issues with her latest books coming out on time, but I still love anything that she writes.

The 13 Clocks
James Thurber
3/5 stars
I don’t know how to describe this book; it is more of a fairy tale about the princess, Sara Linda who is shut up in a castle with thirteen clocks which have been frozen. A prince who is disguised as a minstrel, and who has fallen in love with Sara Linda and is then given the task of finding the jewels of Zorna and restart the 13 clocks before Sara Linda could be released. Interesting! James Thurber Book

Thirteen Hours – Deon Meyer
Digital audiobook performed by Simon Vance
4****

From the book jacket: Morning dawns in Cape Town, South Africa. A teenage girl’s body has been found on the street, her throat cut. She was an American. Somewhere in Cpae Town her friend, Rachel Anderson is, hopefully, still alive. Rachel is terrified, unsure of where to turn in the unknown city. Who can she trust? How long can she stay ahead of her relentless pursuers? Racing against the clock, Detective Benny Griessel desperately tries to solve the murder and bring Rachel home safe, all in a single day.

My reactions:
This is a hard-hitting, fast-paced, police procedural with a complicated plot, a second, unrelated (or is it?) killing, and multiple twists: drugs, human trafficking, the music industry, and, of course, Benny’s continuing struggle as a recovering alcoholic.

He's also been named as a mentor to a group of younger investigators, and Griessel is having a hard time with his recent assignment: Inspector Mbali Kaleni, a black woman, a Zulu, a feminist. She’s eager and intelligent, but lacks the experience of Griessel and his previous partners. And she has her own agenda: trying to equate the effort expended by the police investigating cases of dead black women with that expended in the cases of missing white women. This is an interesting pairing, and I’d like to see it continue in future books.

Simon Vance is marvelous, as usual, performing the audiobook.

The Ghost of Normandy Road - John Hennessy
Haunted Minds Series Book #1
5★
Three Legends. One True Horror. An old house stands on Normandy Road, uncared for and uninhabited for years, until one day, believing an urban legend that no-one dares to live there, a young boy decides to cross its threshold. Yet the house is far from empty - within its walls, a terrible evil has been disturbed. It will take one brave soul three of the longest nights of his life to unlock its secrets, but will he live to tell the tale? *** Although told as a work of fiction, this tale really is based on a true story.

Wonderful fodder for the "Ghost Story Junkie". This is the first book I have read by this author, but I was very impressed with his style of telling the tale. He writes about the paranormal with a style that I have never encountered before. You will BE with Danny in that haunted mansion, becoming an "observer" of the events that occurred in the house. The reader can do nothing less than enjoy this ride. The journey is made even more intriguing after learning what Danny recalls as a ten-year-old boy. Of course, everything is magnified and becomes more exciting to his young and impressionable mind, but it doesn't mean that it didn't happen, exactly the way he recalls it. I found it was difficult, if not entirely impossible, to stop reading. There are so many twists in this 162 page story, and just when you think you know the answer...you can start thinking all over again. The ending is truly explosive and unexpected. It's tagged as YA but "ghost story junkies" everywhere, of any age will find it irresistible.

The Sword of Destiny
Andrzej Sapkowski
3/5 stars
This Witcher book is a compilation of short stories of the deeds and antics of Geralt of Riva and his companions. I enjoy Sapowski’s writing and the characters he has created. I am going to read Blood Of Elves next. Witcher Series

Nothing To Lose - J.A. Jance
J.P. Beaumont series Book #25 - (Alaska)
4.5
Years ago, when he was a homicide detective with the Seattle PD, J. P. Beaumont’s partner, Sue Danielson, was murdered. Volatile and angry, Danielson’s ex-husband came after her in her home and, with nowhere else to turn, Jared, Sue’s teenage son, frantically called Beau for help. As Beau rushed to the scene, he urged Jared to grab his younger brother and flee the house. In the end, Beaumont’s plea and Jared’s quick action saved the two boys from their father’s murderous rage. Now, almost twenty years later, Jared reappears in Beau’s life seeking his help once again—his younger brother Chris is missing. Still haunted by the events of that tragic night, Beau doesn’t hesitate to take on the case. Following a lead all the way to the wilds of wintertime Alaska, he encounters a tangled web of family secrets in which a killer with nothing to lose is waiting to take another life.

I have followed Beaumont through his career, marriage, emotions ranging from joy and happiness to near despair, but it had still been so long since I had picked up another book and the series and revisited what was one of my favorite characters. No excuse. I was glad to see that J.P is still one of my favorite characters and the books are still interesting, and believable. JP has aged while I was away, and his career has changed. He is retired, but still takes an occasional case. This one was personal, and he couldn't have said "no" if he had been on his death bed. The story is about love, murder, family, evil, and the good and the bad of human nature. The youngest son of J.P.'s long ago, murdered partner, has gone missing, and the oldest son who J.P. hasn't seen for 20 years, asks for his help to find his brother. J.P. is determined that he owes it to Sue's memory and her son to find Christopher Danielson, before the boy's grandmother, passes away. The clues lead him to Alaska where J.P. meets some quirky characters, some homicidal characters, and characters that turn out to be helpful to his task. J.P is still holding it together and I promised him I wouldn't wait 5 years again to visit with him.

The Dorito Effect / Mark Schatzker
4 stars

This is a look at food and flavour. For decades now, food has become very bland – this includes meat, fruit, and vegetables. Because the companies and farmers want more and more yield for less and less money. This = no more flavour. So companies started creating flavours to make the food taste like what they should have already tasted like… and flavours to make foods taste like whatever they want them to taste like. But with the real flavour gone, so is much of the nutrition. And that is not getting put back into the foods, only fake chemical “flavours”.

This was so interesting. And so sad. It makes me want to go back in time to taste all the flavours that used to come (naturally) with food (without having to add fake flavours, sauces, spices, etc). A few people here and there are trying to bring back some of the original strains for some of the foods (chicken, tomatoes), but the industrial farmers and companies don’t want any part of it unless it can be done just as cheaply and create just as much yield. Sad sad sad. Would love to have some companies catch on to this (and yes, I realize it would be more pricey).

Death In Room 7 - K.J. Emrick - (Australia)
Pine Lake Inn Series Book #1
3★
Adelle Powers, or Dell as she is known around the town of Lakeshore, is living her dream life. She and her best friend Rosie Ryan are owners of the wonderfully quirky Pine Lake Inn, a very popular Australian tourist destination. Running her own inn is the only thing she has ever wanted to do and it is her pride and joy. So when Dell's friend Jessica calls to say she's coming for a visit Dell is ecstatic and can't wait to show it off to her friend. Surprisingly Dell finds that Rosie is less than thrilled about the visit and can't understand why. They were all such good friends, or so she thought. It would seem that Rosie may know something about Jessica's past that Dell doesn't. Some sort of secret that Rosie is reluctant to share with her. When Jessica is found dead in her room the following day it would appear that her secret past may have finally caught up with her.

I don't really care for cozies, but a neighbor, who knew I liked mysteries didn't seem to understand the concept that there are mysteries and thenthere are mysteries. Since she was kind enough to think of me, and she was probably going to ask me about it...I read it. It was an okay book and anyone that eats cozies for breakfast and doesn't care for blood and brains spread all over the floor, will probably love it. I did find several good things about the book. 1.The cover was cute. 2.It was a mystery of the "locked room" variety. 3.It had some very interesting and crazy characters. 4.It also contained some humor. 5.The main thing that kept me reading and not skipping through it, was that the author introduced the idea early on after the Jessica was found dead in her room, that something paranormal might be responsible. I could accept and work with this idea since I didn't find the reason the author wanted to present to be very realistic.

The Arctic Fury / Greer Macallister
4 stars

In the mid-1800s, Virginia is asked by Lady Franklin to head up a women’s expedition to the Arctic to find her husband and his two lost ships. But it is to be a secret as to who hired her. And Lady Franklin chooses the majority of the women who are going… and one of the women she chooses is a rich spoiled girl, Caprice. Unfortunately (this is not a spoiler, as we know this at the start of the book), Caprice died while on the expedition and her parents have accused Virginia of murdering Caprice. Virginia is now on trial for Caprice’s murder, but Virginia insists she didn’t kill the girl, though they really didn’t get along.

This goes back and forth in time between Virginia’s trial and the expedition. Caprice is a character who is easy to dislike, so I was surprised at my reaction (of course, I knew it would come) when she finally died – it still hit me. Leading up to her death, Virginia and Caprice were coming around and learning to get along. There were some other unlikable characters in the book, as well.

I listened to the audio, and although initially I wasn’t sure if the narrator would keep my attention, I was kept interested. As I skim through other reviews, I see that Virginia was based on a real person. It’s unfortunate that was no author’s note to tell me that. I do like author’s notes in my historical fiction so I know what really happened and what didn’t. I know about the Franklin Expedition and I could have guessed that there was never a women’s expedition to find Franklin, his ships and crew.

The Siren and The Specter - Jonathan Janz - (Virginia)
5★
When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different. Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow. And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House.

More than enough for The Ghost Story Junkie and this one rang with the possibility of some truth. It's got all the stuff any ghost story/horror reader could possibly want, ghosts, monsters, murder, mystery, a creepy old house that become creepier by the page...and best of all, it gave me goosebumps and chills, and that is something that few ghost stories can do anymore. I didn't especially like any of the characters but the house and its atmosphere more than made up for any of their shortcomings. The story and Alexander House was born in the imagination of Jonathan Janz's by a stay “in a historical home in Virginia” as he explains in an author Q&A at the end of the book. It's well worth taking the time to read about how the book came alive for him. As a result, Janz has come up with an outstanding and unique plot that is filled with sensual detail as well as suspense and scares enough to keep any ghost story enthusiast happy. The reader will also find that The Siren and the Specter contains several gruesome discoveries and events that will diffidently get and keep your attention. You might also want to consider leaving the lights on and keeping the doors locked...as if it will really do you any good.

Gone The Next - Ben Rehder - (Texas)
Roy Ballard series Book #1
3.5★
Meet Roy Ballard, freelance videographer with a knack for catching insurance cheats. He's working a routine case, complete with hours of tedious surveillance, when he sees something that shakes him to the core. There, with the subject, is a little blond girl wearing a pink top and a pair of denim shorts...the same outfit worn by Tracy Turner, a six-year-old abducted the day before. When the police are skeptical of Ballard's report, and with his history, who can blame them? it's the beginning of the most important case of his life.

It was a light weight, fun read. I liked the two main characters. The girl seemed smart and knew when to tell what she knew and when to keep quiet. The male character was easy to like, and to keep rooting for him to solve the kidnapping. No help from the cops, as they were mostly a bunch of idiots. There is a back story that explains why it was so important to Roy Ballard to find this missing child. It shows a lot about the Roy character that would have been missed without it. Roy's constant one-liners are amusing...especially the ones he uses when flirting with the opposite sex. There's no sex, no foul language, just a good mystery, so it should appeal to all fans of this genre. This is the first in the series and it has a very promising start. I will probably read more of them.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
313 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

At an upscale wedding off the coast of Ireland, all of the principal attendees are hiding secrets: The bride Jules, the plus-one Hannah, the best man Johnno, the wedding planner Aoife, and the bridesmaid Olivia. Unbeknownst to them all, their secrets all revolve around the groom, Will Staker. As a fierce storm hits the island, the secrets start to come out, as do thoughts of murder.

This was a quick read for me. Very engaging as I tried to figure out each person's secret and who would be the one to kill.

The Runaway Wife / Rowan Coleman
3.5 stars

Rose and her 7-year old daughter, Maddie, show up at a B&B in a small town in the middle of the night. It turns out Rose has – on the spur of the moment – left her abusive husband. Rose’s own father left when Rose was only 9, and her mother died when she was 17. It was not long after, she met and married the older doctor, Richard. Unfortunately, now, Rose doesn’t know where to go, so she follows a picture on a postcard to this small town.

The postcard came from Frasier, a man she met once at her door when she was pregnant. Frasier was looking for John, Rose’s father and an artist, as Frasier was an art dealer. But he was a nice man and such a bright spot in Rose’s dreary day, home alone, long estranged from her own friends, that he’d become a fantasy for her over the following years. To Rose’s surprise, though she was following the postcard in hopes of finding Frasier, she also found her father, whom she hadn’t heard a word from since he’d left.

This was good. The bulk of the story revolves around Rose’s new life (though there are flashbacks to find out what exactly happened with Richard), her new friends in Millthwaite, and her emerging relationship with her father. I quite liked many of the secondary characters, particularly Jenny, the owner of the B&B.

Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger – Lisa Donovan
Digital audiobook read by the author
3.5***

Donovan is a chef and award-winning essayist who has worked in a number of celebrated restaurant kitchens throughout the South. This is her memoir.

Her passion and focus has been on desserts but she knows her way around the entire kitchen. Her journey from Army brat to single mother to just-another-restaurant-worker to pastry star is interesting, and she tells her story with insight and honesty. She recalls the hard work and the discouraging way she was treated by men who didn’t value her contributions because she was a woman (and yet, were quick to give credit to their own mothers, grandmothers, and aunts who nurtured their own love of food and cooking). And she relishes in the memories of her successful endeavors and reflects on the lessons learned.

One of the more telling events in her career is outlined on the book jacket: “…she had made the perfect dessert at a celebration for food-world goddess Diana Kennedy. When Kennedy sked why she had not heard of her, Donovan said she did not know. ‘I do,’ Kennedy said. ‘Stop letting men tell your story.’” I’m so glad that she listened to that advice.

Donovan narrates the audio book version herself. I cannot imagine that anyone else could have done a better job.

How The Dead Speak - Val McDermid
Tony Hill series Book #11 - (England)
4★
With Tony behind bars and Carol finally out of road as a cop, he’s finding unexpected outlets for his talents in jail, and she’s joined forces with a small informal group of lawyers and forensics experts looking into suspected miscarriages of justice. But they’re doing it without each other; being in the same room at visiting hour is too painful to contemplate. Meanwhile, construction is suddenly halted on the redevelopment of an orphanage after dozens of skeletons are found buried in the grounds. Forensic examination reveals they date from between twenty and forty years ago when the nuns were running their repressive regime. But then a different set of skeletons are discovered in a far corner, young men from as recent as ten years ago. When newly-promoted DI Paula McIntyre discovers that one of the male skeletons is that of a killer who is supposedly alive and behind bars―and the subject of one of Carol’s miscarriage investigations...it brings Tony and Carol irresistibly into each other’s orbit once again.

When it's a Tony Hill book you know it will be interesting, entertaining and a top-notch well written police procedural. As usual, I have to say that this was great. So why didn't it get another star? Well Tony is in prison. That just didn't seem right to me. I know Val McDermid has it all worked out, but I want Tony and Carol to be working together. Carol is dealing with her drinking and PTSD, so hopefully things will soon be back to normal. I have followed Tony Hill and Carol Jordan from the start and loved every moment in their company. The book, although very readable, just didn't deliver the same impact as the others. The usual characters drift in and out of the story line, but the "must find out what happens next" feeling just didn't happen and the resolution of the main crime seemed rather weak. As for Carol and Tony...we get a very tiny glimmer of hope for their relationship. I do hope that Ms. McDermid will take the next Hill/Jordan book back to its exciting place that it was headed and give us some resolution on the tentative relationship between these two well-loved characters. It's not the same without them doing what they do best.

September, (Pride & Joy) - Robert Winter - (Washington D.C.)
Pride & Joy series Book #1
5 Plus many more ★
David James is smart, successful, handsome… and alone. After the death of his lover, Kyle, from cancer, he buried himself in his law practice and the gym. At forty-eight, he is haunted by his memories and walled off from the world. When David injures himself working out, he’s assigned to Brandon Smith for physical therapy. The young therapist is attracted to David and realizes he needs a hand to get back into dating. What begins as a practice coffee date escalates to friendship, passion, and maybe something more, as they navigate a new relationship. David remains trapped behind the barrier of fear and guilt, wondering if he should remain loyal to Kyle’s memory, or can he move on when he and Brandon have a twenty-two-year age gap? Brandon thinks he understands David’s concerns, and for him, the answer to those questions is yes. However, Brandon fails to account for the world’s reaction to a young man attached to an older, and wealthy man. David's memories, Brandon’s pride, and an unexpected tragedy could cost them something very special.

I really hate stories that have wonderful, warm, lovable characters that you really want the very best of everything for, and then when it’s all going well...some folks come along and suck the joy out of everything. I was really afraid that this was going to happen to David and Brandon. This turned out to be a beautiful and engrossing story of love and loss. Of coming to a point in life when you feel as though you are facing years of loneliness after a too short period of unbelievable happiness. Robert Winter has written these characters with such depth of feeling that you share David’s sorrow when learning that Kyle, his lover of 15-years, had died after a losing fight with cancer. This story begins a few years later when David meets Brandon as his physical therapist and the attractions is mutual and immediate. They say age is just a number, but they have to wonder could 22 years of age difference be too much and will their friends, on both sides, ruin their still fragile relationship with snide age, and “kept man” remarks? Both David and Brandon have to overcome their fears and prejudices, their feelings of worth, their different lifestyles status, and learn to not let the opinions of any others influence how they feel. All these roadblocks are written in such a way as to be completely believable and understandable. Robert Winter has truly written a love story that flows with honest feelings and understanding of the human heart. It's a story of finding a way to everlasting happiness with the one perfect person who makes you entirely whole. It’s absolutely beyond beautiful. I challenge anyone to get to the part where Brandon reads “THE LETTER” and not need a box of tissues. I cannot find enough words to say how touching this story was and how it grabbed me and held on long after the cover was closed. You can be sure that I will read it again and again, and again. I do that with books and authors that I love as much as I did this one. I believe that September was this author’s first book, (I could be wrong), but I have to reiterate how talented this author is, and how skillfully he entwines our hearts into this story. I have ordered the second book in the series plus one in another of Robert Winter’s series. He has joined my short list of favorite authors. Thank you, Mr. Winter, for this heartbreaking but in its own way, heartwarmingly wonderful experience.

Lies That Comfort and Betray / Rosemary Simpson.
4 stars

This is the 2nd book in a series. In 1888, Prudence is working as a private detective along with lawyer friend, Geoffrey. When Prudence’s sometimes-maid (and friend from when they were kids) turns up not only murdered, but “gutted” (similar to Jack the Ripper over in London), people wonder if the Ripper has moved to New York or if this is a copycat. The police want to solve the case quickly, so they arrest the fiancee, but Prudence and Geoffrey don’t think he did it. Then another, then another young woman turn up with a similar MO.

I am really enjoying these mysteries. Prudence is much more assertive than most women of her time and “station”, but I like her. Realistic? I don’t know, but the entire atmostphere/setting of the book is done really well, I think. With how these murders are happening, there is some gore, but that doesn’t bother me. There was more going on than the murders in this book, so even when things appeared to be drawing to a close, there was more to come.

Velvet Midnight - Max Walker - (Georgia)
Gold Brothers Series
5★
BENJAMIN GOLD: This wasn’t how I envisioned my life going. I thought I was going to be a successful sports star, maybe a famous veterinarian, or maybe I’d open up another sanctuary, following in my moms’ footsteps. None of that happened. Life’s light seemed to turn off for me, and I was having a really hard time turning the spark back on. I fell into the doldrums and let myself think it was normal. Then, on my twenty-fourth birthday, in comes the one surprise I wanted most and liked the least: Rex freaking Madison. My older brother’s best friend, my first crush, my first time. And my absolute worst nightmare, walking in on two thick, sexy, tree-trunk like legs and smiling an electrically blue-eyed smile. Somewhere, deep down under the cobwebs in my chest, a spark lit.
REX MADISON: Well. Crap. This wasn’t how I expected things to go. I’d been coasting, living under my dad’s oppressive shadow while using his bank account to keep rent paid and alcohol flowing. I was running, and life caught up to me. Now, I was being blackmailed for a sex tape I never consented to, and lost my meal ticket to an easy life because of it. My best friend offered me a place to stay, and I took it. I figured some time at the Gold Animal Sanctuary would help me get things back on track. One look from Benji was all it took for everything to derail again. It had been six years since we saw each other last, ending an incredible time on a terrible note. Benji had taught me how to love myself--all of myself--back then, and now I wanted to return the favor, no matter how much time may have separated us from our explosive nights together. Nights I'd never forget and always ache to repeat.

Was it Rex's imagination that his best friend's younger brother, Benji, hadn't been into him, because he sure seemed on the same page when they kissed in Costa Rica, then he ghosted him back home so maybe it wasn't meant to be? Six years and a lot of living later and he finds himself back with Benji's family and realizes the strong feelings are still there, but are they still one-sided? Being a politician's son makes you question everyone's motives and intent. Shame makes him even more skeptical that anything will work out the way he had hoped. We follow the lives of Benji and Rex at the present time and going sometimes going back to events 6 years earlier, events that changed both their lives. As the story unfolds, we find out who is responsible for all the things that had go and are still going wrong for them. There are some little welcome wins along the way, as well as some really big surprises. Velvet Midnight is a fast-moving love story that manages to surprise us right to the end.

Heart of Summer - Max Walker - (Georgia)
Gold Brothers Series Book #3
5★
MAVERICK GOLD:The moment I locked eyes with Theo from across the bar, I knew my life would change. I just didn’t know by how much.
Before I met Theo, I was fine with occasional hookups and drowning myself in work. I didn’t realize how burnt out I was getting until he came into my life and showed me what a good time really meant, roping me into situations that blew my mind. Good times always come to an end, though.
Both our worlds get rocked completely off course when Theo receives shocking news that changes everything. Meanwhile, the stalker obsessed with my family takes their attacks to a whole new level. The situation pushes us into leaving New York and going to my family’s animal sanctuary, where Theo and I grow even closer while the threats grow deadlier.

THEODORE PEREZ: Relationships weren’t my thing. I never imagined myself falling for someone, especially not as hard as I fell for Maverick Gold. But life surprises you sometimes. Trust me on that one. Surprises became a common occurrence from the second Mav and I shared our first kiss. Surprises in life, in the bedroom, in my job at Stonewall Investigations. One thing remained constant throughout: my explosive chemistry with Mav.
That connection is what helped me handle the shocking news that was dropped into my lap one day, altering the entire course of my life. At the same time that I found myself working on the biggest case of my career. Yeah, life definitely likes surprises.

This is the last book in the series, and I hate having to say goodbye to the Gold brothers... but this was a good way for Max Walker to end the series. I never guessed who the Dove was. The author had a great way to make you think everyone could be guilty. I had my suspicions though and loved how it all came together. This story had so much love, romance, suspense. If it had to end...and we know that all things do... then this was just perfect. Thanks, Max, for another wonderful story.

Interior Chinatown – Charles Yu
Digital audiobook performed by Joel de la Fuente
3***

From the book jacket: Willis Wu doesn’t perceive himself as a protagonist even in his own life: He’s merely Generic Asian Man. Sometimes he gets to be Background Oriental Making a Weird Face, but he is always relegated to a prop. Yet every day he leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in production. He’s a bit player here, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy – the most respected role that anyone who looks like him can attain. At least that’s what he has been told, time and time again. Except by his mother. Who says to him: Be more..

My reactions:
Yu’s inventive novel won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2020. I suspect this is because of the very unusual way in which it is written; he uses a second-person narrative voice and writes as if this were a screenplay. Also of note, Yu includes some serious social issues regarding racism, stereotyping in film/television, and personal goals vs family obligations.

Personally, I found the structure off-putting. This was probably exacerbated by my listening to it rather than reading the text. It seemed to me that Yu was trying too hard to be clever. And referencing the characters as “Generic Asian Man” or “Old Kung Fu Master” or “Young Asian Beauty” rather than by their names made it more difficult – for me at least – to connect to the characters and care about them. Be that as it may, he had a pretty good story to tell, and eventually I came to appreciate his message.

Joel de la Fuente does a very good job of the audio, but the structure of the writing really does not lend itself well to audio. I am also puzzled, given the underlying message re racism in the performing arts, why the narrator was not Asian.

Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers
Deborah Cadbury
4/5 stars
Deborah Cadbury, a Quaker family relative of one of the famous chocolate makers relates the history of chocolate, the manufacturers who made the chocolate and the rivalries between the chocolate manufacturers including Cadbury, Milton Hershey, Nestle, Lindt and Forrest Mars. Very interesting!

The Queen and Lord M / Jean Plaidy
3.5 stars

This is Plaidy’s second book about Queen Victoria. This book opens when Victoria learns she is to be queen at 18-years old. Her first few years as queen are very much directed by the Prime Minister at the time, Lord Melbourne. She becomes very close to him. She has a couple of scandals along the way and things look bad to the public with her reaction when she almost loses him as Prime Minister. The book ends just as she marries.

This was good. By now I’ve read a bit more about Victoria than I had when I read Plaidy’s first book about her. But this one had much more detail about her relationship with the P.M. Wish she hadn’t relied solely on Melbourne’s advice, but this is what really happened.

Weaving in the Ends by K.M. Herkes
4****
(Contains the volumes "Turning the Work" and "Joining in the Round," part of the "Stories of the Restoration" series.)

Vol I - "Turning the Work" - When fate brings Carl Jenson to Felicity Chen's yarn shop, she sees dollar signs first, not a lover. Her thriving craft business keeps her too busy for fun--or so she tells herself. When she meets Carl, she decide time with tall, blond and mysterious would be an excellent investment. Carl Jenson gave up on love years ago. Spying for the Restored United States isn't a career that comes with a future. Carl is content to drift along without commitments between jobs. Then his recuperating partner drags him to the knitter's shop on a side mission.

Vol II - "Joining in the Round" - When Felicity Chen's thriving craft store burns to the ground, she swallows her pride and accepts the grudging help of her extended family. Any roof is better than none, but after three months of loving suffocation, Felicity is ready to jump at any chance to escape. Opportunity arrives in the form of strangers who bring unexpected news. Felicity spent her summer in the arms of a mysterious stranger who left without warning. Now he's back, and his friends are pleading for help only Felicity can provide. When they throw in an offer of sanctuary, she leaps without looking back.

I had no idea what to expect from this book except for the knitting on the front cover. It is part of a series that seems to take place when humanity is seeking to restore a sense of normalcy after some sort of cataclysm, and it takes place in San Francisco, the wilds of Oregon, and Nebraska.

The first story, "Turning the Work," describes the unlikely trio of Carl Jenson, his brother Parker, and Felicity Chen, knit shop owner. Seems Parker has to learn knitting to help with recovery from injuries, per his physical therapist Naomi.

Much of the action involves the interaction between the characters that hints at a backstory but is not imperative to understanding this or the companion story. Definitely futuristic, definitely has a romance angle, kudos for looking for healing of all kinds.

The second book, "Joining in the Round," has an intro that points to events in between the two that impact the characters' movements and relationship. And builds out the characters, most notably Naomi and Serena and Justin. Seems Justin is a brilliant technogeek who has been pretty badly damaged psychologically. Serena is his partner and is a wonderful hoot of a character who lives in her own little world. Naomi and Carl and Felicity bring one another back from the brink and provide the gumption Felicity needs to stare down her family and claim her self-hood.

A fine romp, not too techno-geek, and more of a romance/police procedural with some high tech gadgets but they're not the focus.

Note: The knitting term "join in the round" is usually followed by the words "without twisting work" because it does happen. And then you have a Moebius strip ;). Joining like this is one of the trickiest parts of knitting, and I salute Herkes for deciding on this title for her second volume.

Don't Feed the Monkey Mind by Jennifer Shannon
4****

Ancient sages compared the anxious mind to a monkey--constantly chattering, leaping from one branch to another, and endlessly searching for safety from threats. If you suffer from worry or anxiety, you're all too familiar with this "monkey mindset." And, just like a monkey, you may try to avoid the things you fear. But avoidance--or what we call "feeding the monkey"--doesn't work! In fact, it often leads to even more anxiety. That's no way to live!

All in all, a good self-exploration book about that thing that drives me crazy about myself. The term "monkey mind" describes the constant internal chatter, the never being able to let go of a worry, negative outcome, or self-doubt that builds and builds and builds on itself.

Shannon picks three composite patients (overworked boss who cannot manage, mom of an addicted son, and an illness-obsessed internet researcher) plus herself as touchpoints. She then describes the way the monkey mind hijacks our daily lives, our thoughts, and even our sense of well-being.

Since I tend to worry about work situations too much, or bring *those* conversations home with me, the alerts and plans of action in this book were quite relevant. She provided step-by-step guides, including internet links to her pages, where one can go for personalized charts that she uses.

A quick read, a helpful read, and one I could pick up and put down as needed.

Humility Garden by Felicity Savage
3 1/2 ***

(And my apologies again for posting my review so late! Instead of spending a three-day weekend catching up on all things LT, we went shopping for a new mattress. Yeah, I know, dull adult stuff! But this was one of my June books and my OCD insisted I post my review here.)

In the land of Salt, the gods have ruled among humans for centures. Now a new movement has taken grip, denying the gods are masters and thrusting the world into chaos. Young Humility Garden's only dream is to escape her squalid homeland. But the prophets envision a future that holds much more. She is about to embark on a journey that will teach her the secretive ways of the ghostiers, the language of the gods, and the power of eternal love.

A fascinating, well-written, colorful book that paints a vivid picture of another world with other customs and then, sadly, gets bogged down in its own world-building. The events start with young Humility Garden and her small village near the salt-filled center of her island, named throughout as Salt. Each of the island nations features a center landmass made of salt, with arable land near the coast. The culture has evolved to include the blinding nature of the Salt: the mystics (flamens) are self-initiated by living in this interior until they are blinded, and then are led by their proteges (lemans) throughout their lives.

Humility's story is interwoven with the custom of ghosts, the most beautiful young people of both genders who are destined to become non-living statues in the homes and palaces of the wealthy and the gods. And yet their lives continue as fish-like beings in a giant pool, while more are added by the ghostiers and their apprentices.

The very audacity of the culture of ghostiers, lemans, and gods drew me into this world, as did the transformations which Humility's culture was undergoing. But the convoluted nature of the court and political intrigue became unfathomable the more the book progressed. And then the story would take a fascinating turn and went into unexpected territory that kept me intrigued. Still, balancing the bogged-downedness with fascinating storyline kept my star level at 3 1/2.