WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN NOVEMBER, 2022?

Tell Us What You Plan to Read and Have Read in November

Carol Reads in November
🦃 - ★
43/43
November
🦃 Bloodline- James Rollins - 5★ (Group Read)
🦃 Twilight Heist - Katherine McIntyre - 5★ (Early Reviewers)
🦃 What Lies Beneath - R.J. Scott - 5★
🦃Criss Cross - Jordon Castillo Price - 4★
🦃 Unveiling The Past - R W Wallace - 3★
🦃 The Rivals of Casper Road - Roan Parrish -4.5★
🦃 Death at the Deep Dive - Josh Lanyon - 4.5★
🦃 Something Alive on The Titanic - Robert J. Sterling - 5★
🦃 The Illusion of a Boy - LeeAnn Werner - 4★
🦃 The Lighthouse Keeper - Alan K. Baker- 5+★
🦃 The Last to Vanish- Megan Miranda - 5★
🦃 A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins - 4.5★
🦃 Breakaway - E.M. Lindsey ★
🦃 The Shadow Murder - Jussi Adler Olsen - 4★
🦃 Chrysalis - Lincoln Child -5★
🦃 The Girls in The Snow - Stacey Green - 5★
🦃 Belle Manor Haunting - Cheryl Bradshaw - 5★
🦃Frozen on the Moors - Priscilla Masters - 3★
🦃 No More Secrets - Becca Seymour- 4★
🦃 Two Steps Back - Lyn Gala - 4★
🦃 Unexpected Mate - Toni Griffin - 4★
🦃 Turnabout (Vino and Veritas) - Laurel Greer- 4★
🦃 House of Cards ((Spells, Salt, Steel) - Gail Z. Martin - 3★
🦃 Enemies of The State - Tal Brewer- 4★
🦃 The Black Velvet Coat - Jill Hall - 3★
🦃 Grave Intervention - Shira Shiloah - 4.5★
🦃 The Replacement Wife - Darby Kane -2.5★
🦃 One Step Too Far - Lisa Gardner - 5★
🦃 His Surrogate Omega - Kelex - 3.5★
🦃 Take Care of Me - Gianni Holmes - 4★
🦃 Take Care of Us - Gianni Holmes- 4★
🦃 Sins of The Fathers - Morgan Brice - 5★
🦃 Worth The Risk - Kate Hawthorne - 4★
🦃 When the Corn is Waist High - Jeremy Scott - 5★
🦃 Balanced and Tied - Mary Calmes - 3.5★
🦃 My Whole World - Davidson King - 4★
🦃 To Die For - Davidson King - 4★
🦃 Heart Beats - Davidson King - 4.5★
🦃 Taste of Fear - Davidson King - 4★
🦃 Finding Master Right - L A Witt - 4★
🦃 Secret Service - Tal Bauer - 5★
🦃 Lucus - L.A. Witt - 5★
🦃 Vanished - Kendra Elliot - 4★

Sins of the Fathers - Morgan Brice - {North Carolina)
Kings of The Mountain Series Book #2
5★
Three deadly accidents that might have been magical murder. A dark witch with a grudge against the King family. Federal agents with supernatural abilities. And, as usual, Dawson and Grady are smack dab in the crosshairs of trouble even they can’t outrun.

We learn more about Grady’s brother, Knox, in this book and there were also a couple of new characters introduced in this story, Federal Agents Gibson and Tucker. Their introduction gives me hope that there is going to be a book 3 and maybe even a book 4 with the return of Grady's brother and his partner from book 1. Morgan Brice's books have been a favorite of mine for many years now. I've read and recommended many, many times her Witchbane, Badlands and Treasure Trail series...this series will join those others in rereads and recommendations. This author just CAN NOT WRITE A BAD BOOK. She knows how to tell a suspenseful story that keeps her characters on their toes while allowing them to have some very nice romantic moments. Does anyone get the idea that I love her writing? The reader also gets a great sense of place and lore which only adds dimension to the stories. We learned something about some of the characters that we never actually got to meet but were such a big part of the story in book 1, mainly Dawson and Grady's parents. They, and several other family members, had met their deaths on hunts gone bad before the first book had started...so it was good to know how that hunt and their deaths tied into everything that was taking place in this book. We also learned that Uncle Denny was much more than just a family historian and caretaker. We always get to revisit with not only characters from the first book in this series, but in all Morgan Brice's books we get to revisit with favorite characters from her other series. Write faster Ms. Brice. I want more from the Kings in this series as well as more from "Witchbane", "Badlands", and "Treasure Trail".

Take Care of Me - Gianni Holmes - (Ohio)
Take Care series Book #2
4★
This is a different themed story and series...one that many people will find the entire theme various degrees of offensive. Declan is a multi-billionaire younger "Daddy Dom "and Owen is an older "Boy". They are both mature adults, that years ago, life events shaped who they are today. Owen and Declan’s story evolves over 3 books, and this is the second. The books really can't be read out of order since one continues from the last without much backstory. Owen has experienced the "empty nest feeling" ever since his 3 kids moved out to start their own lives. His wife...who is almost a story unto herself... left when the twins were babies, so he raised the children alone. To say that Owen and Declan don't run in the same circles of life, would be a major understatement, yet their paths crossed, when Declan knew from the first time he met him, that he wanted him. As with any relationship, they were tested. It had nothing to do with their sexual preferences, but more with how the world and those around them perceived them and their relationship. I believe they were accepted much more in the story than they would have been in the "real world", but it made for a much better story. I had several problems with Owens adult children. The daughter was rude and judgmental without any cause whatsoever...not from Owen or from Declan. Her lifestyle was with a woman that she was going to marry, so that her Dad was with a man shouldn't have been a problem for her...and she had nothing but total support from her dad and Declan. The twins had been sneaking around and contacting and meeting their absent mother who had been out of their lives for 20 years with no attempts to contact them. When one of the twins first met Declan, he accused him of taking advantage of Owen...even though he was assured by Owen that that wasn't true. I just hate stories where adult children try to run the lives of their adult parents. I already get an idea of what will be part of the issue in the next book, but I have full confidence in Declan and his way of dealing with things. I'm sure that Declan, and Owen will continue to share their love, joy, and fears...and that remember that age is truly "just a number".

The Last Thing He Told Me – Laura Dave
Audiobook performed by Rebecca Lowman
3.5***

From the book jacket Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers – Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother as a child and wants nothing to do with her new stepmother. As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrest Owen’s boss, as a U.S. marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was.

My reactions
A book-club friend once said that she dislikes thrillers because she dislikes being manipulated. I am beginning to feel that way about thrillers, too. However …

Hannah and Bailey are a great team. Reluctant barely begins to describe their relationship at the beginning, but Hannah takes Owen’s message seriously. Bailey is in many ways a typical sixteen year-old. She’s truculent and bored one moment, needy and tender, another. Of course, she also is dealing with the stress of a disappearing father and a country whose attention is focused on her family. But together, Hannah and Bailey become quite the team as they search their memories for any scrap of information that might be a clue to where to begin … to find Owen … to find the truth.

This is a fast-paced, intriguing book. There are several twists and turns that kept me turning pages long after I should have stopped to do other necessary things. I started listening to the audio in my car and was near the end of disc one when I got home. I had the text handy, as I usually do, and brought it into the house so I could finish up that chapter (as I also frequently do). I finished and then read another chapter, and another, and another, and kept on reading until I had completed the book.

Yes, there were some things that bothered me. A few threads that were left hanging. A few inconsistencies that an editor should have caught. (e.g. In one sentence a person is referred to as an actress; in the next paragraph she’s a lawyer.) But it grabbed me and kept me engaged throughout. As thrillers go, it’s pretty good.

Rebecca Lowman performs the audiobook. I only listened to the first disc before picking up the text, but she set a good pace and had clear diction, so it was easy to follow.

The Illusion of a Boy - LeeAnn Werner - (Ohio)
4★
A few months ago, Jessie Taylor’s father was found dead in the woods, and as far as she’s concerned, good riddance. With his absence, she and her brother Brian can unwind and take a much-needed emotional break. Sadly, the reprieve is short-lived due to their mother’s destructive behavior. Now Jessie is afraid the very thing that allowed them to survive her father’s cruelty threatens her life and the lives of everyone she loves. Can Jessie pull together the pieces of her fractured mind to find herself and the courage for one last battle? She’ll come to know the dead are not gone but linger on in your mind.

It has been months since Jessie Taylor’s violent, alcoholic father was found dead in the woods, but she and her family are still trying to put his death behind them. He wasn't by any means a kind, or a likeable man and I thought that a lot of Jessies problems perhaps stemmed from her feeling guilty that she couldn't mourn this violent, terrible human being, even though he was her father. After her mother’s failed suicide attempt, Jessie behavior became off the wall violent, evidenced by her attacking a doctor at a hospital. She was having counseling sessions with a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with dissociative identity disorder, which all stemmed from her childhood trauma. She seemed to be getting better but then her father’s ghost begins appearing in her dreams and soon his supernatural attacks manifest themselves in the real world, setting Jessie off again. It's a read that immerses the reader from start to finish. I love dark ghost stories, but I gave this book 4 stars not because of the quality of the story, but because frankly I became little tired of the continuous high drama. Fans of really creepy, dark thrillers will probably enjoy this story.

Twilight Heist - Katherine McIntyre - (Illinois)
Outlaws Series Book #2
5★
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Katheryn McIntyre and Hot Tree Publishing in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own

A blast from Tuck’s circus past draws Tuck and the charming lone-wolf hacker, Leo, into a dizzying web of passion, secrets, and betrayal. When the circus comes calling, Tuck is helpless to the lure, and this time, his old troupe’s in trouble. Their attempt to leave Reynauld Industries ended with a hit on them, courtesy of the deadly mercenary group, the Stockyard. Tuck can’t sit idly by, and as the resident stealth operator for the Outlaws, he’s in a unique position to help. Leo’s a lone wolf hacker, and no amount of his best friend’s pleading, Tuck’s flirty smiles, or interesting jobs will sway him into working with the Outlaws. At least, until they land this one. After growing up in the hellish Stockyard, he’s wanted to take them down for years, and this is the Holy Grail of opportunities. Only problem? The Outlaws can never know about his history with them. When Leo and Tuck start working together, a chemistry emerges that neither of them can deny. Leo’s mantra of “one and done” falters the moment Tuck shows him a care and steadfastness he’s never experienced before, and the more time they spend with each other, the more he doesn’t want to give up the first man he’s started to fall for. However, if the Outlaws discover his past or the Stockyard finds him first, Leo will end up one of the bloated corpses they’ve left lining the Chicago River.

This is book #2 of this new series...at least new to me. This is the fourth book that I have received by this author who has from the first time, become one of my all-time favorite writers Twilight Heist was an absolutely exciting, breathtaking, hot as all get out, story with believable, wonderful characters. Two men...Leo and Tuck...both looking for the revenge that took their childhood from them but made them even stronger as adults. Tuck grew up in the Midnight Circus while Leo spent most of his childhood in foster care when his father was killed, and his mother let alcohol take over her life. One man was responsible for Leo's misery, and Leo vowed to get revenge. Leo's friend, Dan ran Torres Investigators. He had a small band of people that righted the wrongs caused by people that the law couldn't or wouldn't touch, known as The Outlaws. Leo was invited to join in what was thought to be a combined venture. Tuck was already a member of this group. He kept in touch with his "family" that still lived in caravans at the circus. The one thing that neither man thought would ever happen, happened. Leo was falling in love with Tuck...and Tuck was trusting Leo. Just as they were making some advancement in letting their feelings grow, Leo and Tuck's searches overlapped and butted heads. Leo had lied to Tuck about his past and Tuck couldn't forgive him for his lies putting the group in jeopardy. Leo learned while packing up to move on even while his heart was breaking, that the Midnight Circus had more to do with his past that he ever imagined and Tuck who had gone there to check on some of his friends was about to be in danger from a source that Tuck would nor could ever have imagined. As with all of the books I have read and reviewed by Katherine McIntyre, the characters come alive on the page, and you just want the stories to continue on forever. I am going to get the first book in the series soon. I don't know how I missed it. Thank you, Ms. McIntyre, for another wonderful, exciting story and thanks also to Hot Tree Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Notes on a Cowardly Lion: The Biography of Bert Lahr
John Lahr
3/5 stars
This is quite an extensive book on Bert Lahr who was probably best known for his role of the Cowardly Lion in the film, The Wizard of Oz. Written by his son, the author traces his family life and extensive career on Broadway, in films and Vaudeville and the actors and actresses he worked with.

The Last To Vanish - Megan Miranda - (North Carolina)
5★
Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina Mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself. Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.

Cutter's Pass is located in a beautiful section of North Carolina. The fact that hikers sometimes vanish on the trails is probably true of any wilderness trail country, but Cutter's Gap seems to have a bit more of a history of this happening...the last one just this year. From The National Press...Labeled as “the most dangerous town in North Carolina,” Cutter’s Pass is a pretty place in which hikers have over the years had a tendency to vanish. The first recorded was in 1897. More recently there were the Fraternity Four, as a group of students came to be called, who disappeared in 1997; Alice Kelly in 2012; Farrah Jordan in 2019; and Landon West in 2022. There is something a bit creepier when a story is written to be fiction has firmly planted roots in reality. Megan Miranda builds a haunting atmosphere as she tells the story of a pretty little inn with a very troubled past and sprinkles in some locals who are or could be, keeping deadly secrets. A sense of unease runs throughout the story whether Abby is facing the dangers of the mountains or being almost sure that the locals are monitoring her every move. The Passage Inn, where Abby works and loves her job, is a character all by itself. It comes complete with quirks, secrets, and dark creepy basement rooms. Abby now having to face all these strange happenings at what used to be her comforting, calm place of work is further spooked. The phones keep going down, and one of her co-workers quits with only a brief note explaining her departure. We are slowly given more information about Abby, which only leads to more questions. Such as where did she come from before she rather suddenly, arrived in Cutter’s Pass ten years ago? Why did she decide to live and work at the inn in the first place? All these personal details are revealed but slowly and with careful precision. I liked that the author was careful to ensure that Abby is a fascinating character and not a frustrating one. It's a balance between a cold-case mystery and a psychological thriller, with some surprising twists.

Mansfield Park – Jane Austen
Digital audiobook narrated by Johanna Ward
4****

Miss Fanny Price is taken in by her rich relation, Sir Thomas Bertram, and his wife as an act of charity. Her family is poor and with seven children, resources are simply stretched too thin. Fanny is a quiet, sensible, obedient little thing, and grows into a quiet, sensible, graceful young woman. Her two cousins, Sir Thomas’s daughters Maria and Julia treat her well, but are far more interested in their own prospects. And there are several eligible, if not completely suitable, young men in the neighborhood.

Ah, but I love spending time with Austen. Fanny is perhaps the ideal heroine, and reportedly Austen’s own favorite among her heroines. She is intelligent and thoughtful, pretty and graceful, keeps her own counsel, is modest and principled, and still has a loving heart.

A couple of the gentlemen in the area seem interested in Fanny – she is very pretty, after all, and Sir Thomas is bound to leave her some money. But Fanny would rather be alone than marry a man she cannot love and respect.

There is a certain predictable pattern to Austen’s novels, and this one is no exception. Our heroine will remain true to herself, and love will triumph.

Johanna Ward does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She brings Austen’s witty dialogue to life.

Balanced and Tied - Mary Calmes - (Illinois)
U.S. Marshalls Series Book #5
3.5★
Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more. Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever. They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.

I was really excited to find another book...finally...in a series that I had devoured when the first 4 came out. I thought when Miro and Ian married and everything seemed to have come together for the other couples, that sadly that was the end, and it was destined for many, many rereads. Then...I saw Balanced and Tied and ask "Mr. Amazon" to get it coming. I have to say that the first few chapters were a bit of a disappointment. Way. way too much idle chit chat that added nothing to the story except to let us know that all the past characters were still there alive and kicking. I really didn't care about the guy they were moving around from job to job in the office, or the fellow that obviously didn't understand what Witness Protection" was...and then I met Celso Harrington, (Cel... with a "hard K"). He was an absolutely perfect character for the story in every way...and Eli was so obviously the "ONE" for him even if Eli couldn't yet put words to his feelings. In spite of how rude, bossy and contrary he was, the character of Senan, the other principal dancer i the Chicago Ballet Company, was also a huge part of making the story different as well as interesting. I have found that I have a fairly long list of M/M Romance writers that I will buy almost sight unseen and Mary Calmes is diffidently one of them. I hope there is going to be a book #6 in Ms. Calmes's waiting to be "born"...maybe the guy they were moving around in the office could use a little love in his life. I know the one that didn't understand the meaning of Witness Protection could.

Life Among the Savages – Shirley Jackson
3***

I’ve read two of Jackson’s classic “horror” tales previously: The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In the Castle. So, I knew she was a talented writer. But I had no idea she had such a wicked sense of humor!

This collection of essays / vignettes is about Jackson and her family’s move to a small town in Vermont, where she and her husband settled into a large house and proceeded to fill it with children and books, a dog, two cats and “literally thousands of socks.”

It takes place in the early to mid-1950s, when women were typically homemakers, juggling all the aspects of running the household and raising the children, while their husbands went to work, read the newspaper, and occasionally played catch with their sons. The episodes include a furnace on the blink, a rodent in the house, shopping for children’s clothes and shoes, everyone having the grippe, PTA meetings, shopping for and making family meals (not to mention LOTS of chocolate pudding) and learning to drive. Fueled by little more than coffee, cigarettes and a cocktail before dinner, Jackson dealt with it all with humor and a somewhat detached manner that preserved her sanity.

Take Care of Us - Gianni Holmes - (Ohio)
Take Care Series Book #3
4★
Declan may not be you would ever call typical. He indulges his guy...his partner, Owen. He takes care of Owen's family. He steps in when Owen doesn't quite know what to do. He's committed to ensuring everyone is happy. Owen is eager to please Declan. He knows who to turn to in a crisis. He knows he'll never be judged by Declan for the ways in which he wants to explore. In the epic conclusion of the trilogy, Declan and Owen have reached the pinnacle of trust. With Declan proving himself in ways Owen never deemed possible, he's left with no option but to believe that together they make sense. Together they'll weather any storm because they're a unit that always takes care of each other.

This 3-part series has had its ups and downs for me. I liked the characters of Declan and Owen, but I hated how they, especially Owen, let Owen's adult children, especially the daughter, and in this one his ex-wife who left them 20 odd years ago and suddenly shows back up expecting all to be forgiven and mostly it is. Really??? Leave a man with 3 small children and then waltz back in with open arms??? The conflict in this one is way over the top and seems a little contrived. It was good that the entire story didn't revolve around this mess and that Owen and Declan worked around it and remained a solid couple. Owen is even going to get a dream of his recognized. Overall, I did enjoy the character development and the relationship between the two main characters.

The Ophelia Cut / John Lescroart
3.5 stars

Brittany is in her early 20s and beautiful. When Rick, whom she recently dated, doesn’t want to let her be, he is abusive and ends up raping her. Rick is murdered soon after. All signs point to Brittany’s father, Moses. Moses’ friend Hardy will be his lawyer.

I liked the bulk of the storyline and it picked up in the second half during the trial, I thought. However, I found all the characters a bit confusing (there were a lot of them!), and they sometimes referred to them by first name, sometimes last name, sometimes a nickname. It was hard to figure out who was who and how they were related to one another in a lot of cases.

There were a couple of other things going on, as well… Moses, Hardy and a group of their friends were hiding something – it sounds like they had done some vigilante justice a while back? This storyline never really amounted to anything, though. Also, there was a former cop/murderer who was in the witness protection program. It was only when I finished the book that I discovered this part of a series (in fact, it’s #14!). So that probably explains the other (unfinished) storylines.

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
4 Stars.

Solid 4 star book. I like the author's style on this one, a (somewhat) unreliable narrator talks us through a series of murders he may or may not be involved in either directly or indirectly. The author deftly maneuvers through this maze of circumstances given quite a satisfactory result. Not a five star because at times it felt contrived and the story, a little rushed. But all in all enjoyable and I would recommend it.

The Lighthouse Keeper - Alan Baker - (Scotland)
5+★
A terrifying mystery of the sea. In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers vanished without trace from the remote Scottish island of Eilean Mor. An emergency relief crew was sent to man the lighthouse, and at the end of their month-long duty, they resigned from their posts, never to speak of what they had experienced. The mystery of Eilean Mor has never been solved. Until now. In the present, a group of environmental researchers arrives to observe the wildlife. While exploring the lighthouse, now deserted, one of the team discovers a manuscript written by one of the relief keepers, a man named Alec Dalemore. As a sudden storm cuts off their escape, the researchers come to realize that Dalemore wrote the manuscript as a warning to all who would come after him... a warning of something ancient and powerful and strange beyond imagining…The Lighthouse Keeper is a supernatural tale based on the Flannan Isles mystery, one of the greatest unsolved enigmas in maritime history.

This was a story that was truly written for the "Ghost Story Junkie" if ever there was one! I love stories that have even a small grain of truth attached to them. The Island of Eilean Mor is in the Flannan Isles of Scotland. The island is notorious for its legends, one of which involves three lighthouse keepers who disappeared at the same time a century before, never to be heard from again. Nick is part of a metrological research team that decides to embark on a journey with his love interest, Rebecca. Once on the island, the team discovers something strange on the radar, a huge dark mass on the ocean floor, one that frightens away all sea life. Oh, but this oddity is just the beginning. Rebecca spots something moving in the snow, something that inexplicably draws her to an old, dilapidated chapel on the island. Inside, she discovers a journal belonging to Captain Dalemore, the occasional lighthouse keeper sent to the island a century ago to solve the mystery of his missing colleagues. Rebecca is in awe of the journal, but not half as mesmerized by what led her to the chapel in the first place...a white fox with five eyes. The rest of the team is skeptical of her story, but when Rebecca reads the journal aloud to them, strange events begin to occur such as an unexplained phenomenon that causes the sky to change into rippling waves above them. A mass of white matter that splashes out of the sea. A causeway suddenly that erupts from nowhere and takes form on the island. One member of the team is rendered catatonic from a sight he remains unable or unwilling to explain. The book is based upon true events that have been verified by more than one team on several different explorations. The story is creepy, eerie, and suspenseful and unexplained from start to finish. Alan K. Bates is a fresh burst of great writing as he alternates between the first-person account of Captain Dalmore’s journal and the omniscient storytelling of Rebecca and the team’s modern excursion. The book brings to light the true life “Flannan Isles Mystery” and explores the possibility of alternate realms, and how certain places on Earth, such as Eilean Mor, may lie on the thin border between those two worlds. The book is filled with ghostly encounters, freakish phenomena, and legends that have persisted throughout time. The story of Captain Dalemore and his three colleagues is dramatic as the captain risks his life to try and solve the mystery. The reader knows from the beginning the ultimate fate that awaits Rebecca and the team, a series of events that culminate into a mind-blowing ending. Are the events true? Who knows... and who really wants to risk going there to find out? Do I believe it? Can't say yes and can't truthfully say no either. The website is interesting and I'm including the link if anyone would like to see more about this strange place.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Eilean-Mor-Lighthous...

The Vatican Princess / C.W. Gortner
Rating: 3.75 stars

This book follows Lucrezia Borgia from when she was 13-years old and her father became Pope until she was about 20-years old after her second husband died. In that time, she was married twice, may have had two children – possible spoiler here: one possibly via incest/rape (though this is speculation), and had to deal with a power-hungry father who was Pope and two power-hungry brothers, one whom she loved and got along well with (Cesare) and one whom she did not get along with (Juan).

History has not been kind to the Borgias, including Lucrezia, although Gortner states that, in his research, he found that - like many women of powerful families of the time (and (my added comment here) for centuries before and after), she really was just a pawn. His research did not show she was cruel and power-hungry like her father and brothers. I found this very interesting, as the little bit I’ve read about the Borgias, I also had the impression she wasn’t any “better” than the others in her family.

Gortner does a really good job of historical fiction from the viewpoint of a woman, though I’m not sure anything will beat “The Last Queen” for me (his first book). In all honesty, through most of this book, I was ready to give it an ever-so-slightly lower rating, but I upped it in the last ¼ of the book or so, after Lucrezia married her second husband, Alfonso, whom she loved (at least according to Gortner in this book).

The afterword goes a bit further into history after where the book leaves off so we know what happened to all the major players in the book, in addition to talking a bit about the author’s research. I also loved that he mentioned, in the acknowledgements his pets and does a bit of animal rescue promotion.

The Great American Dust Bowl / Don Brown
3.5 stars

This is a nonfiction graphic novel depicting the “Dirty Thirties” – the dust storms that hit mostly Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas. It is geared toward a YA audience. It also gives a bit of background leading up to the conditions that helped create the dust storms and the consequences to the people and farmers in the areas affected. In addition, the dust travelled to the eastern coast!

It’s short, but it has some nice (colour) illustrations, some of them coloured in so dark to represent the lack of visibility during the storms. There were even a few things I didn’t know about (or if I’ve read about them (this is likely) I’d forgotten – like the electric charges in the air). There were even a couple of real photographs included at the end, but not only 1 from a 1935 storm, but one from 2011, as well.

>12 BookConcierge:. I love Jackson's books about her family. I first read them years ago - before I ever knew she wrote other genres. I have a biography of her on my TBR, as I suspect her life wasn't really so full of humor.

Unveiling The Past- R W Wallace - (Norway)
Ghost Detective series Book #2
3★
Not everyone can attend their own funeral. Not consciously and calmly, anyway. Even Robert, a long-time ghost and something of a pro when it comes to final rites, finds it disconcerting. In the company of his long-time friend and fellow ghost Clothilde, Robert watches as his mother accompanies his remains to the grave... thirty years after his demise. But why does Clothilde’s frail old uncle do the same? Does he know about the link between Clothilde and Robert’s deaths? A funeral won’t put the past to rest... only solving the mystery of their own murders can bring closure. And Uncle Lucien seems to hold vital clues.

I really liked the first book and was expecting a bit more from this one, the second. It was a worthwhile read but I can see where this series is perhaps going to mostly drag on with Robert and Clothilde searching for their killers and coming close but never finding them. We did learn a bit more about the two spirits lives and I have to admit that they certainly find creative ways to communicate with the living, but I'm not sure if I liked it enough to get book 3.

Chrysalis - Lincoln Child - (New York)
Jeremy Logan series Book #6
5★
A dominant tech company, Chrysalis, whose ground-breaking virtual reality technology is redefining the way we live...and possibly introducing a catastrophic danger to the world. Like millions of people around the world, Jeremy Logan has grown to rely on his incredible new tech device. Made by Chrysalis, the global multi-billion-dollar tech company, the small optical device connects people in a stunning new way, tapping into virtual reality for the first time on a wide scale. And yet, when Logan is summoned by Chrysalis to investigate a disturbing anomaly in the massive new product rollout, Logan is shocked to see the true scope of the massive company. He also quickly realizes that something in Chrysalis’s technology is very wrong, and could be potentially devastating. The question is what, and where is the danger coming from?

Jeremy Logan is an enigmalogist...an investigator of unexplained things. His latest mission is a high-tech company known as Chrysalis. Jeremy will be asked to help with a situation that is out of his normal realm, but one that he still finds fascinating. It's imperative that he succeed. If he doesn’t, the results could have a devastating effect on the world as we know it. No pressure here whatsoever:) Now we go to Alaska with Randall Pike and Wing Kaupei. The two are at the base of a glacier in Alaska taking important samples. As Randall is discussing the results while they’re getting ready to leave, Wing suddenly attacks him with an ax and drives him into a gorge to his death. Now we skip ahead eight months later...at a board meeting in New York City for Chrysalis Film Studios, producer Russell Spearman is discussing the use of the latest technology they’re using on an upcoming superhero movie when he suddenly collapses on the glass table and impales himself on one of the large shards of glass from the table, killing him instantly. Two seemingly random but violent incidents, but enough to alarm the multibillion-dollar tech company, Chrysalis. They call in Jeremy Logan for his perspective on the events and to hopefully prevent further deaths and damage to their stocks and their reputation. A warning is received at Chrysalis saying "The next will drop day after tomorrow"...and it does, literally, as board member Piers Bridger’s plane falls from the sky after he experiences a health issue while flying. It has now become apparent that whoever murdered Spearman and Bridger, as well as other board members in different ways is someone with ties inside and setting all this up. This seems to be so different not only for Lincoln Child but for the Jeremy Logan series. Some of the technology was a bit difficult to grasp but the killer's intentions were crystal clear. Lincoln Child does a beautiful job of holding this sometimes-complex story together. It was remarkably believable and completely possible and that was perhaps the scariest part of the entire book.

Old Sparky: The Electric Chair and the History of the Death Penalty
Anthony Galvin
5/5 stars
This is an interesting book about the history of the death penalty, the electric chair and the people who underwent execution. Written in 2015, I would love to see this book added to include any changes in the death penalty and its outcomes.

The Thirteen Problems – Agatha Christie
Book on CD performed by Joan Hickson
3***

Alternate title: The Tuesday Murder Club

This is a collection of short stories. The Tuesday Murder Club is a group of friends, including Miss Jane Marple, who regularly meet and take turns relating an interesting murder case they are aware of, but without revealing the culprit. The club members try to guess who committed the crime. Of course, Miss Marple is always right.

Some of the stories were more intricate and entertaining than others. One was a complete ruse, the storyteller actually laying out a crime that person was contemplating committing, rather than one that had taken place.

In all cases, after the story is told by one member, the other club members take turns giving their best guess, along with the clues that led them to those results. Miss Marple is always last and always clearly outlines how they have been taken in by red herrings, and missed one or two vital clues. After a couple of them I got tired of Miss Marple always saying, “Well, of course, I recall a similar case in my village,” and then showing how this clue or the other clue confirmed her suspicions. But that is always a danger when reading a short story collection in one sitting.

The audiobook I listened to was performed by Joan Hickson, who played Miss Marple in twelve of the BBC television adaptations. The sequence of stories on the audiobook, however, differed from the sequence in the print version I had. But they were all there and the order they were read did nothing to alter my enjoyment.

>22 JulieLill: I also thought this was very good.

Between Two Kingdoms / Suleika Jaouad
4 stars

The author was only 22/23-years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. She had just finished university and was looking forward to her future. She had just started a new relationship (a few months previous) and the two of them had just moved to Paris. They came back to the US and moved in with her parents so she could get the treatment she needed. The treatment went on for 3-4 years, and it took a toll on her relationship.

She did recover, but wasn’t sure what to do next. She decided to take a road trip around the perimeter of the US and she planned to visit people she had met or just corresponded with while she was being treated for her cancer. She had been writing newspaper columns during her treatment, so she was known throughout the US.

I found the first half, with all the medicine and treatments and trying to hold her relationship together much more interesting than her road trip. I almost lowered my rating due to the road trip, but decided to leave it where it is. The most interesting person (for me) she met on the road trip was the man on death row in Texas. He wrote to her early on in her cancer journey, and the parallels were really surprising to me. Something that scared me about the book was how much support and help she needed throughout. I live alone and likely always will. My mom has had breast cancer twice. How will I take care of myself and my cats if I was to become so ill that I need those kinds of treatments? It’s a scary thought.

The Replacement Wife - Darby Kane - (Canada)
2.5★
Elisa Wright is a mom and wife, living a nice, quiet life in a nice, quiet town. She’s also convinced her brother-in-law is a murderer. Josh has one dead wife and one missing fiancée, and though he grieved for them he starts dating someone new. Elisa fears for that woman’s safety, and she desperately wants to know what happened to her friend, Josh’s missing fiancée. Searching for clues means investigating her own family. And she doesn’t like what she finds. A laptop filled with incriminating information. Other women. But when Elisa becomes friends with Josh’s new girlfriend and starts to question things she thinks are true, Elisa wonders if the memories of a horrible incident a year ago have finally pushed her over the edge and Josh is really innocent. With so much at stake, Elisa fights off panic attacks and a strange illness. Is it a breakdown or something more? The race is on to get to the truth before another disappearance because there’s a killer in the family…or is there?

I know that any review is simply the thoughts and likes or dislikes of a single reader and their reaction to it. The enjoyment or dislike of any story may be far different by different readers from mine. That’s perfectly okay. Thats the joy we all have of reading and while two people may read the same book, they will each get a different assessment of each paragraph, each chapter and finally the last sentence, revealing how they viewed the entirety author's work...and I know that writing a book is not easy and writing a book that everyone will like is next to impossible. This being said...I have to say that I wish I could have liked this book more. I didn't hate it...it just didn't speak to me in any good way. It took me almost three weeks to read half of it...I can usually read a book in 12 hours or less...but this one took me FOUR ENTIRE WEEKS! During that time, I found that I could not like one single character in this entire book, and that included the obnoxious, usually out of control, little boy. Harris, Elisa’s husband defends his brother, Josh, even though Elisa is fully convinced that Josh is a serial killer. She believes he is killing his wives and girlfriends and then replacing them. Harris brushed Elisa's concerns off time and time again, often helping Josh with his plans, perhaps without fully believing or understanding what was happening. Was there any love or devotion portrayed for Elisa by anyone? Was any of her concerns even listened to? The entitlement and constant undermining and belittling of Elisa guaranteed that this guy would go to the top of my "Most Hated Character" list and would NOT be winning "Husband of The Year" anytime soon. The brother-in-law, Josh, and his current wife... Rachel??? How could Harris or anyone that met him not see that Josh was slimmer and slipperier than an eel, without a single redeeming quality in his whole body? I wondered just how many women connected to him had to disappear before someone questions it and why in the world wasn't anyone listening to Elisa?? Then we have Rachel....Josh's current "love of his life". I never knew what her game was or which side she was on, good or evil. Then Elisa, who should have been a sympathetic character, someone to root for as she finds her way to the truth of her friend’s disappearance and whether Josh is in fact a killer. Yet she came off as unlikable or at least non-understandable. She almost invited the bad guys to use her, tormenting her for...."surely, she deserves this" all because she couldn’t save her friend. I did finish the book, even if I did wonder what I just read and not quite knowing what to make at the end of this story.

One Step Too Far - Lisa Gardiner - (Wyoming)
Frankie Elkin series Book #2
5★
A young man gone missing in the wilderness of Wyoming…and the secrets uncovered by the desperate effort to find him. Timothy O’Day knew the woods. Yet when he disappeared on the first night of a bachelor party camping trip, he didn’t leave a trace. What he did leave behind were two heartbroken parents, a crew of guilt-ridden groomsmen, and a pile of clues that don’t add up. Frankie Elkin doesn’t know the woods, but she knows how to find people. So when she reads that Timothy’s father is organizing one last search, she heads to the mountains of Wyoming to join the rescue team. But as they head into the wild, it becomes clear that someone out there is willing to do anything to stop them. Soon, they’re running out of time and up against the worst man and nature have to offer, discovering the evil that awaits those who go one step too far.

Frankie Elkin is incredibly talented at finding missing persons. This time sees her searching for a man who wandered into the wilderness five years ago and was never seen again. Frankie arrives in Ramsey, Wyoming, having been drawn in by the story of the hiker Timothy O’Day. Since Timothy had been missing for five years, this search is a last-gasp effort of his father, Martin, hoping to at least find his sons' body. Frankie manages to talk her way into joining the search party. Along with Frankie the team is composed of a mixture of well trained and often successful searchers. In addition to Frankie and Tim's father, Martin, the remainder of the team is composed of a local guide; a search-and-rescue dog and her handler; a Bigfoot expert; and some of Tim’s friends who were in the woods with him when he went missing. In the years since, they’ve moved on with their lives, but they have always carried guilt and secrets about the night Tim disappeared. As they start into the wilderness, it very soon becomes apparent that someone is extremely threatened by this search effort to find Tim’s body. Frankie tries to draw the truth from each member of the search party, but no one needs to tell her that she's way in over her head. She's a searcher but she's also inexperienced with wilderness searches. Questions are now building up. Is Tim still alive and looking for revenge? Is there something more dangerous among the search team? Or is there a secret that someone would kill, or perhaps has already killed to protect? Lisa Gardner is incredibly skilled at producing a story of tension and suspense. She’s also a master at ever so slowly revealing the complex characters and all their secrets. Both these qualities are in on high levels in this story. Frankie isn't the only one "out of her element"...so was I for a great deal of the story. It’s not often that a book so clearly takes us into the darkness of both nature and the human heart that this one does. It's terrifying, it's primal, and it's very, very tense, and one of the best thrillers that I have read this year.

The Wolf Man
Kenny Abdo
3/5 stars
I thought this book was an adult book but it turns out that it is an easy reader book. But I did read it though I really wanted to read an adult book on The Wolf Man. This is one of a series of books on Hollywood Monsters for children. I will have to be more on alert when I order books. I am sure there is something out there about the wolfman and/or Lon Chaney on an adult level.

However, the most interesting part of the book was that the script of the movie was based on writer Curt Siodmark's Dresden experiences when the Nazi's took over. It did not come from German folklore.

Criss Cross - Jordan Castillo Price
Psycop series Book #2
4★
The second PsyCop adventure finds the ghosts surrounding Victor getting awfully pushy. The medications that Victor usually takes to control his abilities are threatening to destroy his liver, and his new meds aren't any more effective than sugar pills. Vic is also adjusting to a new PsyCop partner, a mild-mannered guy named Roger with all the personality of white bread. At least he's willing to spring for the Starbucks. Jacob’s ex-boyfriend, Crash, is an empathic healer who might be able to help Victor pull his powers into balance, but he seems more interested in getting into Victor’s pants than in providing any actual assistance.

I loved the book, especially the love scene at the end and also how the plot twisted and turned. An added attraction was seeing that Maurice was there at the end. This is only book #2 and I have already read several of the other books...out of order of course, so I know that the story plots well from one book to the next. This is a paranormal cop series, with same sex partners and a slew of interesting, strange characters and happenings. It may seem a bit strange to describe paranormal creepy stuff as fun, but Jordan Castillo Price has a way of bringing all the fun and more to the table no matter what the main characters face. I couldn't help but love Vic and Jacob. Anyone who needs to have their books follow perfectly in a storyline and not have to wonder why or how something occurred will really want to read these in order.

The Family Upstairs / Lisa Jewell
3.5 stars

At 25, Libby has inherited a large house that belonged to her biological parents, whom she doesn’t remember, as she’d been adopted at 10 months old when her parents and one other person had been found (suicide) in the home she has now inherited. An older brother and sister were never found. Now, Libby wants to find out exactly what happened in that house and what happened to her siblings.

The story is told from three different points of view, one of them narrating what happened 25 years ago before “the baby” (Libby) and the three dead people were found. It took me quite a while to figure out all the characters and although it wasn’t overtly mentioned how the characters were related until later in the story, I did eventually figure it out. That being said, to get there took wading through figuring out a bunch of other characters, too. I have to admit the first half of the story wasn’t nearly as interesting as the second half, likely because it took me so long to figure out all the characters. I would probably give the second half a bit higher rating than I’m rating it overall.

Something's Alive on the Titanic - Robert J. Sterling
5★
If you forget the Titanic’s legacy, beware. Something is alive on the Titanic... something powerful and malevolent that protects the once-great ocean liner from the rapacious intentions of those who would desecrate her grave. Whatever is down there was first encountered by a classified mission in 1975, and they could never speak of it. A previous mission to recover millions of dollars in gold believed hidden in Cargo Hold Three had a mysterious, tragic end. Now, a new group of men and women scientists, adventurers, and the United States Navy wants to retrace the steps of that original voyage to investigate where the 1975 mission failed. The rumors of monsters and apparitions can’t be true, can they? As they penetrate deep into the hull, the first people to see the interior in eighty-one years, they find they are not alone.

How possibly could the "Ghost Story Junkie" resist a title like this? It had a supernatural element along a really great story based on some truths and some things entirely from the imagination of the author. Sometimes it was difficult to tell them apart. I have always been fascinated with the history of this great vessel and how she met her fate...this story uses those facts but adds a delicious element of pure terror. The story starts with the 1975 expedition, one which ended in tragedy in very unusual circumstances. This is based on documented facts. It continues 18 years later with the sole surviving member of that original crew and adds some new characters all with the same purpose...find the treasure...and they get the same response...something says, "Go Away". The message is delivered in the strongest and most deadly terms possible. The story is fun while also being a little fanciful...but as I said there is an element of truth woven throughout. It’s really not hard to imagine that the Titanic is a haunted ship...but exactly what forms the haunting takes? That is what makes this story so haunting, and terror filled as well as making it interesting for lack of a better word. Ask yourself just what would it be like to search a wreck where more than 1,500 people died? Being on the bottom of the sea just adds to the atmosphere. What spirits would haunt those old staterooms? What wants the living gone? Well...here’s your chance to find out.

>31 Carol420: This sounds kind of fun!

>32 LibraryCin: Yes, it does. I understand the place that it rests is always colder than the rest of the area. Strange.

The Black Velvet Coat - Jill Hall - (California, Arizona)
Anne McFarland series Book #1
3★
Twenty-eight-year-old struggling San Francisco artist Anne McFarland is determined to get a one-woman show, even though no one, including herself, believes she can do it. But when she buys a coat at a thrift shop with a key in its pocket, strange, even magical, occurrences begin to unfold, and she is inspired to create her best work ever. Fifty years earlier, it’s 1963, and the coat’s original owner, young heiress Sylvia Van Dam, is headed toward a disastrous marriage with a scoundrel. In a split-second reaction she does the unimaginable, which propels her on a trip of self-discovery to nature-filled Northern Arizona. When Anne and Sylvia’s lives intersect, they are both forced to face their fears―and, in the process, realize their true potential.

It was a bit unusual all the way around. It's a story told through various objects found in a thrift shop and mysteriously interwoven into the lives of the two female characters, expanding across the generations until Anne, the artist, meets Sylvia, the now elderly original owner of the items that Anne had found in the thrift shop. I thought that how the story and the objects took the reader on a geographical as well as a historical journey while telling the story of each of the objects, was a very unique approach. At times it was predictable, but the plot remained interesting. Would I read book #2? Probably not...but it had nothing to do with the way the story was carried or out or how the author had written the events...it just wasn't the typical genre that I would have chosen if it had not fit a challenge. Anyone wanting an easy read with a bit of fluff will love making the journey with The Black Velvet Coat.

To Die For - Davidson King
Joker's Sin Series Book #2
4★
Managing the bar at Joker’s Sin, a gay nightclub, is Max’s dream job. Where many seek fame or fortune, he’s living his best life, surrounded by family and friends. The only thing he doesn’t have is the guy to complete him. Lane, AKA Sparkles, sees too much of the person he used to be when he looks at Max, and none of it is good. But the stubborn man won’t let up, and when Sparkles’s past threatens to unravel his whole life, it’s Max who steps in to save him. Can these two opposites push past their differences to see just how right they are for each other? Will they get a chance before it all falls down around them? Or is their love one to die for?

I really liked Sparkles...he taught kids to dance at his studio, he took care of his mother and he found Max who he knew was IT for him and Max felt the same. Everything was going good until Dorian, a mobster-like creep from his past showed up and threatened all the people that he loved...and then to top it off, he bought the lease on Sparkles' dance studio, now making him Sparkles' landlord. Luckly this guy had more money than brains so there was always hope even though things went from bad to worse until Sparkles and Max's friends came up with a plan. Sparkles and Max provided us a sweet, sometimes sappy in a good way, love story. Max works at Joker’s Sin. Sparkles visits the bar...a lot. Not because of Max though. Max thinks he's a bad bet on relationships. Their views of each other shift quickly over time and before they realize it, they are involved. You could sum the story up as a story about trust and life being what you're willing to make it.

The Secrets Between Us / Thrity Umrigar
3.5 stars

Bhima is no longer working for the family she had been, and is now living in the slum with her granddaughter, Maya. However, with some help, she has managed to send Maya to university, while Bhima herself is now working two jobs (cleaning and cooking) for two other people. She really dislikes the woman at her morning job, but at her afternoon job, when her employer has a friend move in – a friend who has moved back to India from Australia and seems to have forgotten the customs – Bhima is not only treated very well, she is treated more like a friend.

The often disagreeable Parvati has an argument with her nephew and he kicks her out of where she has been living. She finds a room to rent at a brothel, and sells vegetables at a stand during the day to make her daily rent. Circumstances bring the two older ladies, Bhima and Parvati, together and they form a business partnership.

This is a continuation of “The Space Between Us” by the same author. Despite this being a sequel (and although I have), I don’t think you need to have read the first book to read this one. The bits you need to know are told to you in this story (good thing, because I wouldn’t have remembered any of it!). I liked this. I considered upping my rating to 4 but decided to keep it at a “good” rating for me. It’s not fast paced, but it’s a nice story of friendship. With the way it ended, I feel like there is a possibility for another continuation (with a different focus). If another book came out with these characters, I would read it.

A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins (England)
4.5★
When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

We encounter a group of troubled women whose lives become interlocked after a gruesome murder takes place in a narrowboat moored in the canal. The suspects are many and all are certainly possibilities...some more than others. Daniel Sutherland has been stabbed to death in his boat and the prime suspect is none other than Laura, a young woman with a history of mental illness and family troubles. Laura is presumably the last person who saw Daniel alive, and she has also been seen walking covered in blood on the day of the murder. Laura's bizarre, disinhibited behavior makes things worse for her as the detectives investigating the case become convinced that she is the culprit. Daniel's neighbor, Miriam, is an unimpressive, middle-aged woman who carries a dark secret from her past and also the individual who discovers his body. Miriam finds Laura's key in the crime scene and pockets it without informing the authorities. It is evident that she has a plan, but the reader is kept in the dark regarding her true intentions. Overall, I found the story to be easy to read and entertaining. The only slight negative that I had with it was that I was expecting something more at the end.

Evan Help Us – Rhys Bowen
3***

Book two in the Constable Evans series has Evan looking into two seemingly unrelated deaths. Colonel Arbuthnot has wandered the area around the village for some time and, an amateur archeologist, he’s come across what he believes to be a credible ruin that could bring great attention to the village. After boasting to one and all at the pub one night, he leaves to go to his lodging house, but he never makes it home. He’s found the next day in the river; apparently having slipped off the footbridge while inebriated and drowned. A few nights later prodigal son Ted Morgan, who’s returned to the village from a successful career as a real estate developer in London, is found dead in his study, an apparent suicide. But both deaths are eventually deemed to be murder. There is no obvious connection between the two of them, so does this mean there are two murderous persons about in the small Welsh village?

I like Constable Evans, but this one dragged a little. Still, I enjoy spending time with the colorful residents of Llanfair. CP Evans’ slow-burn relationship with Bronwen is ever-so-slowly inching along. But Betsy the bar maid isn’t about to give up hope for a romance with him either.

Enemies of The State - Tal Baurer - (Washington D.C.)
Executive Office Series Book #1
4.5★
The President falls for the one man he's not allowed to love... his own Secret Service agent. Newly elected President Jack Spiers' presidency is rocked from the very beginning, and he's working furiously to keep the world from falling apart. For Special Agent Ethan Reichenbach, Jack is just another president. He runs the presidential detail, and he's side by side with Jack every day. He's expecting another stuffed suit and an arrogant DC politician, but Jack shocks him with his humor and humanity. But there are rules against a Secret Service agent and one of their protectives developing a friendship--big rules. Ethan keeps his distance even as Jack draws him in. It's a lure he isn't strong enough to turn away from. As the two men collide, rules are shattered, and Jack ends up centered in the deadly crosshairs of a hardline domestic threat. Ethan must put everything on the line in order to save the man he loves, Jack's presidency, and the world.

Another wonderfully executed work by Tal Buer. I didn't expect the politics to be that interesting, but it did contribute to the main characters development. Ethan's depth of feelings for Jack and his pain were felt in every word and every glance he directed at the man. I became invested in the story from the beginning. Tal Bauer writes in an incredible manner that pulls the reader into the story and into the lives of the characters. Intrigue and mystery are brought into focus from the very beginning of the book and continues to the last word. We also got to see how the White House works along with its many inhabitants. To put it in a nutshell, it's fast paced, suspenseful, engrossing, moderate to high steamy, impassioned and moving, with plot twists that will keep you guessing and with a cast of characters that will make you love, hate, cry and get angry but will bring the story to a spectacular finale.

The View From Penthouse B – Elinor Lipman
Digital audiobook performed by Mia Barron
3.5*** rounded up

Gwen-Laura Schmidt was unexpectedly widowed when her beloved husband suffered a massive heart attack. Her older sister, Margot, invites her to move into Margot’s luxurious Greenwich Village apartment. Margot was divorced amid scandal and then lost her money to a Ponzi scheme, so this is a chance not only to help her sister in her grief, but to make ends meet. Margot also takes in another boarder – handsome, loves-to-bake, Anthony.

What a charming comedy of manners, reminiscent of Jane Austen, but updated to the 21st century. The scenarios and the characters are believable and relatable. Their dialogue sparkles. I love how they support and encourage one another through thick and thin. And trust me, there’s considerable thin here. And many complications relationship wise. But all these plot twists are handled with grace and humor and compassion and delight. I want to be friends with these people … all of them. I want to have dinner with them on a Wednesday night and hear about their adventures and what they think about the latest political scandal, and whose kid got into a good school, and what they’re reading lately, and whose sister is getting divorced.

Mia Barron does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. There are a lot of characters to handle and she’s up to the task.

Bloodline- James Rollins - (Dubai, Somalia, Washington D.C.)
Sigma Force Series Book #8
5★
Galilee, 1025. A cunning Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure: the Bachal Isu - the staff of Jesus Christ - a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that will forever change humanity if unleashed. A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht off the coast off the Horn of Africa, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman and brutally killing her husband. Painter Crowe and his SIGMA team are enlisted for the top-secret rescue mission. The kidnapped woman is Amanda Gant-Bennett, the daughter of U.S. President James Gant. Crowe is more than a little suspicious that the kidnapping masks a far more nefarious plot. In the field, Commander Gray Pierce leads his small team of operatives into the treacherous African jungle to find the missing woman. But what should be a straightforward rescue turns into a fiery ambush and a deadly act of betrayal. As Commander Pierce and his team discover, the hostage is a pawn in a shattering act of terrorism with dark and shocking repercussions. And the danger is only beginning.

This was made even better by my being joined by nine of my good friends from LibraryThing for the first group read that we have had in 2 long years, and what a gem we picked to start our monthly read again!! I have always loved the bonds that exists between the members of Sigma. The group is still growing with the addition of Tucker, an ex-military man and Kane, his military war dog. James Rollins always leaves some interesting questions at the end of his books, and he hasn't lessened the emotional fallout any in this one. A mysterious Templar Knight rescues a staff from a man much older than he ought to be. This knight is not all she appears--and she leaves no witnesses. Then we jump to modern day. A young pregnant American woman is kidnapped, her husband brutally murdered by Somali prates. But this woman isn't your average tourist either though she's traveling on a fake passport. She's the daughter of the President of The United States. James Rollins expertly weaves science and adventure flawlessly, mixing with high-concept DNA and PNA in a manner that is accessible to everyone, not just those with a scientific background. The action flows from Somalia to Dubai, to South Carolina. There were some excellent and some very unexpected twists and turns throughout. Just when we thought we had had all the shocks and surprises, Mr. Rollins hits us with a subplot that came as more of a shock than any of the previous ones. I hope that will be addressed in the next book. James Rollins has another 5 star winner here.

Frozen on the Moors - Priscilla Masters - (England)
Joanna Piercy series Book #3
3★
Sharon Priest is on the moors in a flimsy red dress and high heels, but as a snowstorm sweeps in she doesn’t feel the cold . Meanwhile Detective Joanna Piercy is approached by a desperate man at a party. His daughter went missing two years ago. She went to the market one afternoon and never came home. Leaving behind her eight-month-old son. And the police are no longer looking for her. Now, a frozen body is found on the moors. And Detective Joanna might just have a serial killer on her hands.

I wasn't over the moon about the book, but I didn't totally hate it either. I never related to the main character and thought she did some stupid things, like having an affair with the married coroner. I thought that their affair compromised both of their integrities in the case. The author didn't really actually have an ending for the book either. Maybe the story will take up again in book 4 but I hated being left dangling in the air.

The American Association of Patriots Presents: How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety
by Zachary Auburn
2/5 stars
I saw this book and thought that this might be quite funny but after a few pages it started to drag and the jokes got old. However, it was a short read so no harm, no foul.

Unexpected Mate - Toni Griffin
4★
Brian Townsend was having one hell of a week. Rejected by his parents, kicked out of his pack and now his car breaks down on his way south. What else could go wrong? He soon finds out when the police rock up, and the sexy cop turns out to be his mate. What he didn’t expect was his mate to walk away from him, without so much as a backward glance. Marcus Holland was having one hell of a week. Breaking up with his girlfriend, and then copping an earful from his mother about settling down and having kids. All he wanted was to go home and relax. Little did he know one last call-out on his way home would change his life forever. Can Marcus come to terms with the fact his mate is a man or will he risk losing Brian forever? However, not everyone in the pack is entirely happy with this mating.

Marcus is one of the Holland brothers. Of the four, there are three gay brothers (what are the chances?) and Marcus who is the odd one out. That is until he meets Brian, his mate. Marcus is not a happy camper. Quote from book..."Why couldn't this man belong to one of his gay brothers? Hell, why couldn't this man be a woman?" But pack law is pack law and no wolf questions it ...at least not out loud. What follows is a cute story as Marcus turns away from Brian and then needs to try to win him back. Throw in a bit of drama with a bitchy ex-girlfriend and a nice accepting family and it turns into a fun, light read with a happy ending!

Heart Beats - Davidson King
Jokers Sin series Book #3
4.5★
Their love story isn’t easy. Every night Ledger stands on the stage of Joker’s Sin, the most popular gay nightclub in Haven Hart, mixing music. Many of the people who come through the doors want his attention, but lately he’s only had eyes for the red-headed bartender, Shane. When Ledger is invited to be on a panel at DJ Con, he asks for support from his friends at Joker’s Sin. To his surprise, Shane shows up. For Shane, Ledger is everything he’s ever been attracted to in a person. They’ve danced around each other for a while, but finally getting to know the intense DJ one-on-one, he realizes there’s even more to Ledger than he ever knew.Then craziness ensues. Someone sets their sights on Ledger, determined to make him theirs, and he and Shane find themselves fighting for their lives instead of living it. Whoever is behind this will stop at nothing to get Ledger in their arms. With people getting hurt and dying around Ledger, can he keep the one man he’s just finally admitted he wants from a murderous fate, or will someone’s crazed obsession end it all?

This is a sweet, soft flowing story that was so easy to get into. I became immersed in the storyline very quickly, as I did with the two previous books. The story focuses on DJ Edge, better known to his friends as "Ledger". While attending a convention to meet his ardent fans, along with several co-workers from the popular gay bar, Joker’s Sin, where the DJ loves to work, trouble rears its ugly head, aimed straight at Ledger. One co-worker, in particular, is very special to Ledger...Shane, the redheaded and intense bartender, that was one of his co-workers that had made the trip, much to Ledger’s delight. The two have been crushing on each other, but neither has made a move. Ledger is about to make his interest known, but nothing is ever simple. Weird gifts, and constant interruptions from his friends, cause the men to step back a bit, which greatly frustrates them. Ledger may be hot, and popular but he is definitely not a player. Feelings are explored between the two men, and they seem perfect for each other. One, huge problem develops. Ledger is getting weird tokens left for him with snippets of music. The gifts get more bizarre. It becomes evident he is being stalked and could be in serious danger. The problem intensifies when the stalker kills. This person wants Ledger, and anyone in his way is in danger. In spite of the danger this really is a fun story. I wish it could have been a bit longer and I would have liked to have seen it fleshed out a little more. But issues are eventually resolved, and life is great for Ledger and Shane. It was a good story and a fast-paced romance. On to book #4.

Insomnia / Stephen King
2.5 stars

Ralph’s wife recently (I think) passed away. Now he is having trouble sleeping. It’s not long before he starts seeing “auras”. It turns out a local older woman, Lois, is also seeing these auras. There is a woman activist coming to town to speak, but townspeople of Derry are divided about it.

I listened to the audio, and the audio was ok; I guess I lost interest periodically, but I don’t think it was the narrator or the audio at fault. This is one of, if not the, book I’ve rated the lowest by King (of what I’ve read, which is quite a bit), as he is one of my favourite authors. There were parts that I “liked” (or at least found more interesting), like the domestic abuse situation, but much of it just didn’t interest me.

A Cowboy For Christmas – Lori Wilde
2.5**

From the book jacket: It’s Christmastime in Jubilee, Texas, but Lissette Moncrief is having a hard time celebrating… Especially after she accidentally smashes her car into Rafferty Jones’s pick-up truck. Yes, he’s a whole lot of handsome … but Lissy’s not about to let herself get whisked away by his charming ways and words. What she doesn’t know is that Rafferty’s in town just to meet her – and to give her a share in the windfall that doesn’t rightly belong to him.

My opinion
Okay, it’s an Avon Romance and I was expecting something predictable and heart-warming, not great literature. This had a lovely premise: a young widow with a toddler, struggling to make ends meet after her husband dies in Afghanistan. She’s now reeling from the new diagnosis that her son is going deaf when she meets the brother-in-law she’s never known and who inherited her husband’s life insurance. The sparks fly. Of course, he’s not only handsome, but also a gentleman, equally good with skittish horses and over-tired toddlers, and adept at writing a business plan and setting up a website. Oh, and he just happens to know American sign language so he can teach Lissy’s son, the basics so he can begin to communicate.

So far, I don’t have much of a gripe with the scenario – like I said it’s a cowboy romance and fairly predictable. But there’s a very weak subplot involving Lissy’s mother-in-law and the “terrible secret” she’s carrying which she just knows if she reveals it everyone will hate her, and she’ll never see her grandchild again. This tortured character just tortured me every time she appeared on the page, and the book lost a ½ star as a result.

Oh, well, ‘Tis the season, and I guess you can’t win the rodeo every time. I’ll probably get back on the horse at some point in the future and read another of Wilde’s books.

When the Corn Is Waist High - Jeremy Scott - (Indiana)
5★
“What appears to be a humorous story set in Indiana farm country becomes a thriller with multiple shocking twists. Fans of TV's Dexter might want to try this disquieting book from Scott.” —Library Journal
In the early 1980s, a tight-knit Indiana community is struck by a series of violent murders. Father Solomon Lancaster—the town’s dry-witted sheriff and priest at the community Catholic church—finds himself on the forefront of the investigation. Soon, he’s fighting to match wits with the serial killer terrorizing his town while trying to justify his law enforcement credentials to the FBI as their analysts and profilers take Crooked Creek, Indiana, by storm. But Father Solomon is hiding secrets of his own. Ones that threaten to rise to the surface as the murders continue and the investigation draws nearer to the truth. As the killer begins to escalate, Father Solomon finds that even the innocent has dark sides, and trust might be the deadliest weapon of all.

I'm not sure if the story is based on true events or if its fiction just built around a real town.... The town is very real. The story is set in the 1980s in the small town of Crooked Creek, Indiana, Jeremy Scott’s novel opens with a murder. This might not seem like the most original of beginnings, but Scott cleverly constructs the opening to transform quickly into something much larger, and something quite sinister. The murder victim is 84-year-old Tina Hillary, and the stem of a white lily is sewn into her arm. The more you read, the more twisted and terrifying it becomes. Soon the little town has one murder after another, all with attached flowers. The town was unprepared to say the least... the police department only had five people on the payroll, but they all appeared nightly as they received nightly national attention for having a serial killer who’s preying on the locals. The novel is told mainly from the perspective of Father Solomon Lancaster, who serves the dual roles of both the sheriff of Crooked Creek and the priest at Jerusalem Independent Catholic Church. It's a unique point of view allowing the book to showcase the narrator’s deep complexities: “I began to worry that sooner or later, my obligations as a priest would be undone or superseded by my obligations as a sheriff. It was a conflict of interest I had always hoped to avoid. Foolish.” Throughout the book, you see and feel all that Father Lancaster is experiencing as it all unfolds through each chapter. If you like psychological thrillers, you will more than likely enjoy this book but be aware that some of it is extremely graphic.

Taste of Fear - Davidson King
Joker's Sin series Book #4
4★
Ciro Navarro has never had it easy, but he learned to survive. Nightmares of a past he cannot erase plague him but thankfully, much of his horrible life is in the rearview mirror. He lives in the present, focusing on his found family, lifelong friends, and the job that fulfills him. Ciro’s circle is small but tight; if you’re in it, you are his world. And somehow, he’s become a rescuer—at the slightest hint someone he cares about is in trouble, he comes running. After years of hard work and patience, Xander has fulfilled his goal and made a name for himself as a world-renowned chef. He lives his dream every day: cooking up and serving recipes that bring people joy. Though he has restaurants in several locations, it’s Haven Hart Xander calls home, and he can’t imagine settling anywhere else. Life is good. In fact, everything in Xander’s life is perfect…until people from his past start turning up dead. When word of a serial killer hell-bent on ending Xander comes to light, Ciro’s instincts kick in and he vows to keep Xander, the sweet and humble man he finds himself gravitating toward, alive. The seriousness of what is happening rattles Xander, and he allows Ciro into his home to protect him. Close proximity heats things up and shows Ciro and Xander how much they’ve come to mean to each other, but the precautions they’ve taken may not be enough to keep them safe. When the unthinkable happens, they are put to the test. Can Xander and Ciro survive the crazed serial killer who stands in the way of their forever?

I loved the characters of Ciro and Xander from meeting them in the first four books of the series and was really looking forward to hearing their story. I thought their story was a bit too rushed without the main point in the story being settled...how did the killer even came to the conclusion that he did about the group being responsible for the things that happened in his life years after they had all left the neighborhood and had had no contact with him at all? I know that he was a few bricks short of a wall but how and why??? Overall, the entire series is good. I like that each of the Joker’s Sin boys found their ONE and happiness...and also that we never really lose track of them since they appear in each of the books. The only thing that I have against this book is that it's the end of the series. However, if you're like me, I'll revisit them time and time again as I reread these wonderful books. My books are NEVER read only once.

Girls in the Snow - Stacy Green - (Minnesota)
Nikki Hunt Series Book #1
5★
"Madison walked through the fallen snow, looking left and right. It had been Kaylee’s idea to use the trail through the forest; she said no one would follow them. But Madison lost sight of Kaylee for a moment and when she found her again, she wasn’t alone." In the remote forests of Stillwater, Minnesota, you can scream for days, and no one will hear you. So, when the bodies of two fifteen-year-old girls are discovered frozen in the snow, Special Agent Nikki Hunt is sure the killer is local: someone knew where to hide the girls and thought they would never be found. Though Nikki hasn’t been home in twenty years, she knows she must take over the case. The Sheriff’s department in Stillwater has already made a mistake by connecting the girls’ murders to those of a famous serial killer, refusing to consider the idea that the killer could be someone from town. Then another girl’s body is found, a red silk ribbon tied in her hair, and Nikki realizes that the killer has a connection to her own dark past, and the reason she left Stillwater. Nikki is not the only person in town who wants those secrets to stay hidden. Will she be able to face her demons before another child is taken?

This was the first book I had read by this author, and it won't be the last. I had heard and read so many good opinions from people I trusted, about this book, so when one of my good friends said "read it...you'll love it"... I did...and he was 100% right. I absolutely devoured it in a day and a half. The storyline is absolutely mesmerizing. The author so cleverly kept the reader guessing until very near the end. It was only in the last two chapters that I began to see where the story was headed. Nikki Hunt is a great main protagonist. Her team are likeable and capable, interesting investigators in this taut and gripping story. The people, the locations, and the benefits of offender profiling carry this story and I was actually sorry to have finished it. This one will diffidently go on my reread list and I will absolutely be looking for the second book in this series.

Lindbergh
by A. Scott Berg
5/5 stars
I love A. Scott Berg and would read anything by him. He doesn't disappoint in this detailed and interesting book on the life and times of Lindberg which recounts his life, his tragedies and triumphs and his death. Highly recommended!

What Lies Beneath - R.J. Scott - (Pennsylvania)
Lancaster Falls series Book#1
5★
In the hottest summer on record, Iron Lake reservoir is emptying, revealing secrets that were intended to stay hidden beneath the water. The tragic story of a missing man is a media sensation, and abruptly the writer and the cop falling in love is just a postscript to horrors neither could have imagined.
Best Selling Horror writer Chris Lassiter struggles for inspiration and he’s very close to never writing again. His life has become an endless loop of nothing but empty pages, personal appearances, and a marketing machine that is systematically destroying his muse. In a desperate attempt to force Chris to complete unfinished manuscripts his agent buys a remote cabin. All Chris has to do is hide away and write, but he’s lost his muse, and not even he can make stories appear from thin air. Sawyer Wiseman left town for Chicago, chasing the excitement and potential of being a big city cop, rising the ranks, and making his mark. A case gone horribly wrong draws him back to Lancaster Falls. Working for the tiny police department in the town he’d been running from, digging into cold cases and police corruption, he spends his day's healing, and his nights hoping the nightmares of his last case leave him alone.

I really liked Chris and Sawyer. They were two sensible guys that took their time getting to know one another. They became friends before they even thought about being anything else. Chris is a horror writer who has a bad case of writer's block. His bestselling series needs the next book, but Chris just can't come up with the words. Thinking he can help Chris his agent buys a creepy cabin near the reservoir. Now we come to Sawyer. He is recently back in Lancaster Falls after leaving the Chicago Police force. The last case he worked in Chicago nearly ended in tragedy for Sawyer, nearly ending his life, and decidedly tragedy for the kid that was found dead. Enough is enough... he has to get out of the city before he loses a part of himself. The book also revolves around a good mystery when a skull and bones are found in the reservoir, which leads to a lot of questions that still have no ready answers, especially if those bones could belong to Casey McGuire who disappeared 10 or so years ago. Casey was Sawyer’s best friend, and he wants answers. During the course of the investigation Sawyer and Chris grow closer and as Chris starts his research concerning Casey and all the other unsolved mysteries, he slowly finds the words he was searching for to start his next book. This was a well thought out mystery. It's also the first book of a trilogy so be prepared for the mystery to not be solved in this book. The author is very clear about this being a trilogy. I'm in for that...as I have books 2 & 3.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? / Caitlin Doughty
4 stars

This is a book of essays answering kids’ questions about death. The author is a funeral director in California and she answers questions like: What would happen to an astronaut body in space? Will I poop when I die? What would happen if you died on a plane? Can I be buried in the same grave as my hamster? Add to that the book’s title question, and more.

The author reads the book herself, but she also does plenty of youtube videos and a blog, I think. Anyway, she does a good job and I find this stuff fascinating! She does a good job of mixing in some humour to go along with the rest of the explanations, as well. There is some science and history, as well, depending on the question/answer.

The Rivals of Casper Road - Roan Parrish -(Wyoming)
Garrett Run Series Book #4
4.5★
He’s in it to win it...Until he falls under his neighbor’s spell. Bram Larkspur’s rugged, sexy looks belie his fear of all things horrifying. But as Casper Road’s newest resident, he’s excited to join the annual Halloween decorating contest. The competition is keen, especially from six-time champion, architect Zachary Glass. But when enigmatic Zachary sparks a prank war, it’s game on—until one sizzling kiss turns these rivals into allies. Now only one thing scares Bram: how quickly he’s losing his heart to Zachary.

Having read all the books in this series I found that this one fits into the other three very well. They are all sweet love stories about guys that you know will fit together like a glove as soon as they figure this fact out for themselves. I listen to this and then bought the book as a keeper. This one is just as lovely a romance with very little angst. Greg Boudreaux...one of my favorite narrators delivers a great audio performance that just enhances the story so well and makes it a pleasure to listen to. Roan Parrish...one of my favorite authors, has a way with creating characters that feel real, and Bram and Zachary are no exceptions. It's a short little tale and would have been perfect for Halloween, even if I am a month late, I still enjoyed it.

How To Walk Away – Katherine Center
Book on CD performed by Thérèse Plummer
3.5***

There are many kinds of “happily ever after…”

Margaret Jacobsen has worked hard and is ready to step into a bright future, with a new dream job and an equally successful fiancé, but as the happiest day of her life unfolds, a horrific accident snatches it all away from her.

I’d read one book by Center previously and I wasn’t all that impressed. So, I wasn’t expecting much more than a contemporary romance with possibly “relevant issues” for today’s woman thrown in. I was pleasantly surprised that my expectations were exceeded.

Margaret’s journey is what kept me interested. Yes, I saw the plot points coming a mile off, but I still found myself enjoying the journey. She is faced with a situation that could be completely devastating. And there are times when she despairs. But she also summons all her strengths and her determination to succeed. And, although she sometimes goes the “pity party” route, there are other times, especially with the help of her sister, Kitty, when she finds some joy and even laughter. And ultimately, Margaret takes charge of her life in a way that is totally believable and had me cheering her on.

I still found several of the characters a little too stereotypical. Her fiancé was the typical “golden boy” who turns out to be a jerk. Margaret’s mother was a real piece of work, and I couldn’t stand her. While her long-suffering father was the perfect prince we all expect. Kitty’s role as a Bohemian rebel was rather over-the-top, but she seemed to be the chief catalyst to keep the plot moving.

Thérèse Plummer did a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She had a lot of characters to interpret and gave them sufficiently unique voices to differentiate them. My only quibble – and it’s a small one – is that while she does a great job of Ian’s Scottish brogue, Margaret and her family have no trace of Texas twang.

Secret Service - Tal Bauer - (Washington D.C.)
5★
President Brennan Walker captivated me from the moment I walked into his Oval Office. He’s a mystery I’m determined to unlock. I don't know what's hiding inside Brennan's gaze when he looks my way, or why black lightning keeps crashing between us. He’s a storm at midnight, a dark moon rising, trouble on the horizon. I’m on the verge of sliding into discoveries and truths that maybe I’m not ready for. I've never been with a man, but now? I'm dreaming about his bleu clair eyes and wondering what it would feel like if his lips touched mine. There’s something here, something between us, like the oxygen we’re breathing is igniting before each inhale. But he’s the president. I'm his Secret Service agent. He’s the job. He's forbidden. If we cross this line, Brennan could lose everything. I know I have to walk away. But I can't. How much are we willing to risk? And how badly will this go up in flames?

I love Tal Bauer's work...this was not an exception by any means even though I struggled with the rating and finally convinced myself that I enjoyed way more of it than i was frustrated with. The characters were wonderfully written and the information about the White House and the training that the Secret Service goes through was interesting. The frustrations came about because the chapters jumped back and forth by headings of "then" and "now" between Reece, the lead Secret Service agent and Brennan, the President. I have to give Tal Bauer a round applause for even beginning to pull that one off. The other characters were great backups for the story, and you just had to love and admire them all...especially the newbie...Sheridan. The action and the suspense was out of this world...so, a well-deserved 5 stars. It was a love story that never stopped even when the two main characters tried to end it, and even when the reader could see that this maybe/could possibly work out...or it could bury them both, destroy their careers, not to mention the entire country. I did get the "bad" guy but not until the very end. Good story, Mr. Bauer. But I would never have expected any less from you...but why in the world is this a standalone???

House of Cards (Spells Salt & Steel)- Gail Z. Martin- - (Pennsylvania)
Spells, Salt, & Steel series Book #8
3★
Gotta know when to fake ‘em, know when to stake them, know when to burn it down—and know when to let all hell break loose. Some days, mechanic and monster hunter Mark Wojcik thinks that if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. His corner of rural Pennsylvania used to be relatively quiet—except for the ghosts, trolls, gnomes, and snallygasters. But when people start disappearing and bodies pile up, Mark and his friends realize that big city problems have come to town, with deadly consequences. Necromancer narcos, a monster trafficking ring, and mafia witches would give anyone heartburn. It’s just Mark’s luck they all converge in his territory, along with an underground cryptid fight club and a secret casino catering to witches, werewolves, and the unwary. The fight gets personal when Mark’s friends go missing, and all bets are off when he and Father Leo bring in a ringer to even the odds. They say the house always wins. Mark’s betting the farm that he and his friends can save the day. He’s got a couple of cards up his sleeve—but unless luck and magic go his way, they might turn out to be aces and eights.

Love this author as Morgan Brice. I have all her books in the "Witchbane" and the "Badlands" series, but I just can't get into this one. Some of the characters from the forementioned series filtered through the story but the overall topic just wasn't something that held my interest. It was a short book, only 114 pages so it only took a couple of hours to finish, and it also finished a challenge for me. Not a bad book at all, just not one that really interested me. I did like the dog, Demon...a lot:)

Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944 / Joseph Balkoski
3.75 stars

This is a detailed account, much of it using primary sources, of the invasion of Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It was primarily American soldiers who landed here; Canadian and British soldiers landed on other beaches that day.

I actually liked the author’s narration a bit better than the many primary source quotes he used to illustrate (and expand on) the things he was talking about. Partly, that may have been the smaller font of the quotes vs my (getting older) eyes! I tended to sometimes skim over some of those quotes. But the amount of detail and research that went into this is amazing. Very much like Cornelius Ryan’s account of D-Day as a whole (published in 1959, and used in Balkoski’s research, as well).

The Shadow Murders - Jussi Adler-Olsen - (Denmark)
Department Q Series Book #9
4★
On her sixtieth birthday, a woman takes her own life. When the case lands on Detective Carl Mørck’s desk, he can’t imagine what this has to do with Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division since the cause of death seems to be clear. However, his superior, Marcus Jacobsen, is convinced that this is related to an unsolved case that has been plaguing him since 1988. At Marcus's behest, Carl and the Department Q gang—Rose, Assad, and ordon, reluctantly begin to investigate. And they quickly discover that Marcus is onto something: Every two years for the past three decades, there have been unusual, impeccably timed deaths with connections between them that cannot be ignored. As the investigation goes deeper, it emerges that these “accidents” are in fact murders by a very cunning and violent serial killer. Faced with their toughest case yet made only more difficult by COVID-19 restrictions and the challenges of their personal lives, the Department Q team must race to find the culprit before the next murder is committed, as it is becoming increasingly clear that the killer is far from finished.

Department Q is the cold case division of the Copenhagen Police. They are furiously racing to prevent the latest in a series of vigilante killings, some of seriously bad people. Actually, my first thought was, turn your backs and let them at 'em...these are people that would scarcely be missed. If you have ever watched the news, read the newspaper or otherwise witnessed people casually flout laws designed for the common good of everyone and momentarily wished that you could somehow show them that their behavior is totally unacceptable? Well...someone has done just that here. Somebody has assembled a team of female avengers whose sole mission is to execute “due diligence” on your behalf. After reading about the recent suicide of Maja Petersen reminds the Chief of Homicide, Marcus Jacobsen of the 1988 explosion that leveled Mr. Ove Wilder’s Auto, a repair shop. His sin???...he routinely cheated unwitting customers. What was his "due diligence you dare ask...his son, Max was killed along with Ove and three employees whose bodies were discovered inside the shop. You may think that that was a bit of overkill, but it’s only the beginning. After a sharp-eyed technician spotted some hoped for evidence outside the shop’s entrance Chief Inspector Carl Morck is moved to ask Rose Knudsen to search the records for other killings that may have had the same evidence left. 16 different cases... one every other year...each of them happening on the birthday of a notorious dictator. As the anniversary of another dictator is on the horizon, the members of Department Q struggle to identify not only potential suspects, but potential victims, unaware that exploitative reality TV show producer has already been kidnapped awaiting is "due diligence". It's a bit slow in places but the story progress well and the characters are more than interesting. Some of the language is not exactly translated into the way English speaking countries would say things but it's still a very good read.

A Royal Pain – Rhys Bowen
3***

Book two in Her Royal Spyness cozy mystery series, has Lady Georgiana Rannoch (Georgie to her friends) hosting a Bavarian princess as part of Her Majesty’s plan to get the Prince of Wales interested in a more suitable partner than that awful American woman. Princess Hannelore is only eighteen and fresh from the convent, but she’s eager to finally explore a big city and enjoy flirting with boys … from an impoverished bookshop clerk to the attendees at a swanky party to the eligible men at a country estate. But a tragic accident at the swanky party threatens to embroil the Princess in a scandal and cause an international incident.

I like Georgie as a character, and love her grandfather, the retired London bobby, as well as her best friend, Belinda. But the plot here didn’t really capture my attention. I felt it dragged and it seemed Bowen was trying too hard to weave the various deaths together into a whole conspiracy. Still, it does give an added dimension to impoverished Irish Peer Darcy O’Mara. He may be more than just an unreliable rogue…

City Under One Roof / Iris Yamashita
3.5 stars

Amy, a teenager in a small Alaska town, finds a couple of body parts that have washed up on shore. Cara, a police officer from Anchorage, comes to help figure out what happened. Cara comes with secrets of her own. Unfortunately after she arrives, so does a blizzard, trapping everyone with no way out. A third POV in the book is Lonnie, someone with mental disabilities, who takes care of a resident moose.

I liked the story, but I didn’t like Lonnie’s chapters; I found them quite confusing (I guess since her mind is confused, this “fit”, but I didn’t find it good reading. The thriller part of the book didn’t grab me like many do, but again, I did still like the story. I liked Cara and her background and storyline. Amy’s story and background was pretty interesting, too. There were definitely some odd characters and stories (in addition to Lonnie). I wonder if there was some setup for a second book, though?

Death At The Deep Dive - Josh Lanyon (Rhode Island)
4★
We only see the things on the surface…When Pirate Cove's favorite--and only--mystery bookshop owner and sometimes-amateur sleuth Ellery Page discovers a vintage diving collection bag full of antique gold coins tucked away for safe keeping in the stockroom of the Crow’s Nest, it sets off a series of increasingly dangerous events, culminating in murder.

I understand that Josh Lanyon started this little series at the start of the Covid epidemic. It's a M/M romance but not "heavy" on the romance. She said she wanted this series to appeal to everyone and it certainly can and does. This is book #7 and Jack and Ellery have been very good guys and surely have not offended anyone. The entire thing is actually more a mystery series that just happens to feature two gay characters. She calls the series "Secrets and Scrabble"...and it is one that should be started from book #1. The series also features a cute puppy named "Watson". Who could possibly find anything offensive here? Once again, Josh has given us a mystery with just enough danger to keep us coming back and wanting more...unfortunately, this one reads like it could be the end. Everyone that has waited for a certain event to take place will be happy with the ending. I love these little books. They have all had very good vibes. Hope to see more of this series and I hope somewhere, somehow, book #6 comes out of hiding...wherever it is. if this is the end...then I wish Jack and Ellery all the happiness they so very much deserve.

Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time
Stephen Rebello
4/5 stars
If you have ever seen Valley of The Dolls, you’ll love this book that covers all the dirt in the making of this movie based on Jacqueline Susann’s 1966 book. Rebello thoroughly covers every aspect of the making of this movie!

Belle Manor Haunting - Cheryl Bradshaw
Addison Lockhart series Book #4
5★
The door to Addison Lockhart's room opens. Six-year-old Sara Belle walks in. The child seems lost and confused. Addison reaches out, grabs Sara's hand, and the room goes black. Addison's eyes open to find she's been transported several decades into the past. She's sitting in the back seat of a car. Sara is beside her. The car stops at an intersection. Moments later another vehicle in the opposite direction barrels through the stop sign, slamming into the car before jerking the vehicle into reverse and fleeing the scene. Who is the driver of the other car? And what secrets within the walls of Belle Manor provide the answer to little Sara's untimely demise?

Addison again finds herself at the heart of a mystery from the past. This time it’s the death of a young girl who was the victim of a hit and run. The heart of the mystery is Belle Manor, which hides many secrets, including the identity of the killer. The investigation holds more surprises as Addison discovers the history of her own family, especially the psychic powers that are passed down through the female line. She has to choose whether to embrace what history has ordained or walk away just as her mother did. Her decision could have a profound effect on her husband and family. I have read and really enjoyed read the three books before this one. Each book reveals more of Addison gift...or curse...depending on how you look at it. The books really should be read in order because of this. I like a good mystery and if there is a ghost or two in it, that is even better. It starts out as a fairly typical ghost encounter but quickly turns into an engaging and emotion filled discovery of power and how that power can be used for good or evil. Two things that I find a bit offsetting. First, she leaves a newborn and runs off to solve this mystery and as the books move forward, Addison comes to process an ultimate power that allows her to use it to be judge, jury and ultimately, executioner. I find the first to be unbelievable and the second to be downright dangerous.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Mayes
5*****

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. Soon she will be joined by four other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

This was an extraordinary book based on real events, and told with compassion and realism both. It takes place during the Depression when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had the brilliant idea to bring books to people who might not otherwise have access to them. In this setting, it is the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, a region that is still facing difficulty with basic access to books.

It starts from the point of view of newlywed Alice Van Cleve, a British woman who did not quite fit in to her parents' view of what a young woman should be and instead marries the son of a Kentucky mining boss. She finds that married life with her new husband in his family home, with his father's bedroom across from hers, is not quite what she had hoped for. And so when an opportunity presents itself to escape for a few days each week on a worthwhile endeavor, she takes it.

The growth and acclimation Alice goes through are as much a part of her learning her route through the mountains on horseback as the households she serves. Some she meets through the crack of a doorway, some greet her with sadness and sickness in their midst. And she is not the only member of this group who is changed by her work: each of the other riders on this route learn what they are bringing to the mountain homes is more than just words on the page.

Thankfully, it is not sappy nor maudlin nor paternalistic. It is a relatively accurate telling of this time and effort in American history, made all the more realistic by the author's time spent in these same Kentucky mountains.

The Doctor from Hell / Genoviva Ortiz
3.5 stars

Harold Shipman was a doctor in the U.K. from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. In that time, he murdered over 200 people (likely the number is much higher). He is the serial killer who has killed the most people ever. This is a short biography of him and his deeds. He was actually very well-liked, but things came tumbling down with the death of another well-liked and influential woman in her community.

This is meant to be for any level reader, so it is kept short and simple. I still thought the story was good, but because it was kept short, there were plenty of details and victims that could have been expanded on. It’s not tale of blood and guts murder, but a doctor who (for reasons unknown) killed many of his own patients.

Luca - L.A. Witt - (Washington)
Gentlemen of Emerald City Series Book #1
5★
Ethan: Hockey season is over, and that means one thing—returning home to my empty condo. With nothing to distract me from this loneliness, it’s going to be a miserable summer. Then I hire Luca for one night. At least, it was supposed to be one night.
Luca: Ethan isn’t like my other clients (not that I have many these days). He’s nice. He’s genuine. He doesn’t treat me like I’m here to earn my pay. When he asks me to make this a regular thing for the summer, my wallet doesn’t leave me much choice. But I’m pretty sure my heart isn’t supposed to get involved.

L.A. Witt is one of my top favorite authors. I have never read anything by her that wasn't a 5-star book. Luca lived up to everything that I expected and then some. Ethan...a top hockey star, had money galore but he was lonely, wanted someone to share the happenings of his day with more than anything else. A teammate told him about an escort service and after much hesitation texted his choice for a "date", Luca. Luca was a college student that was drowning in debt so escorting paid him very well, but he was still struggling. Heaven forbid that his parents ever find out what he was doing for a living. Even though he had escorted for other hockey players he was leery as the experience had never really ended well and he felt that he was more something for them to brag about rather than companionship...a recent bad experience was a member of the same team that Ethan played for...but that was how he was keeping "the wolf from the door"...so he said yes to Ethan request. Two people were never better suited to one another. These were two of the best characters that I have ever had come together in a story. There was hot romance but better yet there was love, mutual respect, and above all... kindness. I have the remainder of this series and if all of the books are like this one...this series will take its place as number 1 on my bookshelf.

The Christmas Bookshop– Jenny Colgan
3***

Carmen Hogan is the “not successful” younger daughter, who’s always lived in the shadow of her uber smart and successful older sister, Sofia, whose an attorney married to a fabulous man, with a fabulous house and three (soon to be four) fabulous children. More interested in having fun, Carmen elected to work in a department store rather than go to college. Now her boyfriend has broken up with her and the store is closing putting her out of a job. Her Mom suggests that she go live with her sister for a bit; Sofia can get her a job and could use the help with the kids. So, she reluctantly goes to Edinburgh, where Sofia arranges for her to work with one of her clients, Mr McCredie, whose bookshop will have to close if he can’t turn a profit this Christmas season.

This was a delightful rom-com. The city of Edinburgh is described as a virtual living Christmas card during this season, with fairy lights and snow and decorations, and all the shopkeepers on the street hosting parties. But Carmen certainly has her work cut out for her. Mr McCredie is more interested in collecting books than in selling them. The place is dingy and no one but he can find anything. Still, Carmen is a good retail seller, and she slowly brings him around and meets two promising romantic leads: Blair Pfenning, the charming, rich, bestselling author she manages to coerce into a book-signing event, and Oke, a dendrologist (tree expert) who dresses and looks like he’s an impoverished student but is kind and attentive.

The drama of the sibling rivalry and Sofia’s “mean-girl” nanny add some additional tension and help Carmen clarify her own notion of her self-worth and what she wants out of life. She also helps Sofia’s youngest, Phoebe, (who, frankly, is just like Carmen in so many ways) come into her own. But make no mistake, it’s Carmen’s potential romance that is the main focus of this charming story.

Preventing Her Shutdown / Sammie Marsalli
3.5 stars

The author wrote a diary as he was caregiver for his wife of 43 years when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. That diary became this book (it’s more about the length of a novella).

I am rating this good. It is hard to criticize such a personal story like this, but I only rate it as “low” as I am because there was a lot of repetition (like you would find in a diary, really). There were a few spelling and grammatical errors, as well.

But really, it’s a heartwarming story of a man’s incredible love for his wife as he tries to stop her mind from shutting down. He talks about all their daily activities and how much he tries to connect with her through these activities and in other ways. Oh, she does not speak.

I have had relatives with Alzheimer’s, but I’ve not been directly involved with them as they went through it, so I’ve not seen it firsthand. I hadn’t realized there were a lot of physical issues that go along with it, in addition to the mental issues. I can’t imagine how difficult this kind of caretaking would be.

Things My Son Needs To Know About the World – Fredrik Backman
Book on CD read by Santino Fontana
3***

In this collection of essays, new father Backman speaks directly to his infant / toddler son about life and being a man. Some of these essays are quite humorous and self-deprecating. Some fall a little flat. But all are entertaining. He covers such subjects as bullies, getting your child to eat, being careful, the importance of best friends, and love.

Santino Fontana does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. I forgot that it wasn’t Backman himself who was reading.

Breakaway- E.M. Lindsey -(Colorado)
Sin Bin: West Coast series Book #1
4.5★
The last thing Ravi Chandola needs is to define his career by a single mistake he made off the ice. But it’s not that easy when you’re the captain of an NHL team and the press is always watching, waiting to pounce. And to make matters worse, Ravi now has community service under the supervision of a former professional figure skater who hates him with a fiery passion. But things aren’t so simple when it comes to ice king Adrien Fischer. He’s hot but cold.
He’s soft but sharp. And in spite of telling Ravi there can never be anything between them, Adrien can’t seem to stay out of Ravi’s orbit. Ravi’s life is complicated enough without this man who can’t seem to make up his mind, but as much as Ravi wants to walk away, he knows he’s in it for however long Adrien will have him. So, what hope does he have left? Just a miracle that the ice king’s heart will thaw and allow Ravi in.

Ravi and Adrien don’t have a "love at first sight" intro. They are pretty much forced together by fate....and that same fate has a terrible sense of humor since it also puts the two guys on opposite sides of similar sets of circumstances. Those circumstances have had a significantly negative impact on Adrien’s life. The initial sparks between them are mostly of one-sided hate. when the truth is slowly revealed over the course of the book it shows that Ravi isn’t who Adrien first assumed he was. It didn't really matter anyway because Adrien is already falling for the other man. The most obvious theme of the story is that a good person can once in a while do something bad, and another person has the capability to find it in themself to look past and forgive it. The characters were wonderful and unforgettable. Ravi is the team captain for the Denver Huskies, the local NHL team. He is under intense scrutiny and now has to perform community service for a night that he can't even remember but seems to haunt him everywhere he turns. Adrien is a figure skating superstar who had his Olympic dreams shattered by a drunk driver. It is three years later, and he still hasn't fully come to terms with it. In addition to the two main characters here, I absolutely loved their two best friends, Felix and Nolan. I hope they have a story of their own soon.

The Ha-Ha / Dave King.
3.5 stars

Howie was in Vietnam for the war. He was injured and came home unable to talk. He has not been able to since, nor did he re-learn to read and write. His best friend (and former high-school girlfriend), Sylvia, calls on him to take care of her 9-year old son, Ryan, while she is off to rehab. Lucky for Howie, he has three other people living in his house. Laurel lives there without paying rent, but she helps Howie out. Two other rooms are rented out to young men, Harrison and Steve (he calls them Nit and Nat: he doesn’t like them much!).

This was good. There was a lot of “guy” stuff in the book, but with Howie and Ryan as main characters, becoming almost like father and son, one should expect that. It was nice how the household came together to help out with Ryan (though none were used to having a kid around the house!). I didn’t like Sylvia much, but then Howie did some stupid things, too.

Turnabout - Laurel Greer - (Canada/Vermont}
Part of Vino and Veritas series
4★
I don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop. My stint in Vermont will have to be short, for a couple of reasons: One, I’m a busy executive trying to climb the corporate ladder. Two, my ex is still my dad’s right-hand man in the shop. And I am not over him. Nothing has changed at the Burlington shop. Auden still has his infuriatingly sexy Scottish accent. He’s still hot, and still stubborn. Between operating the antique press with his shirtsleeves rolled up, and moonlighting at Burlington’s hottest inclusive wine bar, he pushes every one of my attraction buttons. by falling-in-love-again buttons, too. Except I’m his polar opposite. I love change and taking chances. Everything he avoids in life. So why am I trying to convince him to reach for more than we’ve ever dreamed of—the possibility of forever?

Carter’s father, Francis loves his printing press...which I thought a bit strange especially since it has come at the expense of his wife who has run off to Paris and his son who has run off to a town in Vermont. The wife is threatening divorce and has no intention of returning home so that leaves Francis no choice except to but to call his son, Carter to step in while he goes and tries to get her to forgive him and come back. Carter left Vermont to take a position as Vice President of a big office supply company in Montreal right after his father rejected his proposal for improvements that would have done nothing be help the family business. In leaving he left behind more than just the business, he left his heart in the form of the Auden, the gorgeous, Scottish love of his life... who just happens to work for his dad…and Vino and Veritas of course. All of this series, which is participated in by a huge variety of M/M romance writers, are fairly short...all take place in Vermont... and all that I have read thus far have a happy, sometimes unexpected ending. This story is all about love, compromise, change, family dynamics and the stress of a parent's expectations and the desire for parental approval. Old hurts take time to heal, need to be discussed and understood. With a few match-making friends to encourage the two characters, all was in good fun.

Nora Ephron: A Biography
Kristin Marguerite Doidge
4/5 stars
This isn’t the first book I have read about Nora Ephron but she is such an interesting subject to read about and was such a success in her career with writing and film that not every book on her can contain all that we know about her. When I checked this out from the library I work at, one of the patrons saw that I had that book and she wanted to check it out too. I think Ephron’s life was not long enough for her fans, family and friends yet she will still be a role model to women everywhere!

No More Secrets - Becca Seymour - (Australia)
Zone Defense series Book #2
4★
Some things you can't just blurt out... right? When you've shared a kiss with your best friend and it blows your mind-and other parts of your body-it's inevitable that everything changes. That's the way it now is with me and Jayden Moore, my best friend who thought he could rock my world with no consequences, all while throwing me his signature grin. But this is Jayden we're talking about. He gets himself into unexpected trouble no matter what, and when visiting Australia, I'm compelled to make sure he doesn't get eaten by a croc or try to steal a kangaroo. Like the glutton for punishment, I am, I follow him. And that's all great until my desperation and big mouth send our worlds spiraling. Apparently, we're now officially a couple. And because of course it goes one step further, I've now got my very own fake fiancé. Being in the media is one thing but being inspiration for others creates a whole new set of guilt and problems. But we'll tackle it together and find our way back to how things were. And if that's not possible, just maybe Jayden and I can find ourselves with a brand-new label. One that's real, and one I don't run from. That's the thing with Jayden: he has a way to extract my secrets. Whether he's prepared for them or not.

The story is about best friends to lovers, and even includes a fake boyfriend. Sutton and Jayden make a journey from the United States to Australia, while they try to figure out their sexuality and work up a deception, just in case they might need it. I read the first book in this series and really liked it and was happy that I was not disappointed with the second book. It’s a cute story. Both Sutton and Jaden complicated their life more than they should have and really, they did it for no reason at all. All they had to do was to explain that their marriage proposal hadn’t happened yet. They just made the wrong choice and then made it worse when they lied to their friend, Pearce. But both Jay and Sutton are good guys at heart and worked hard to find their way to their happiness. Good well worthwhile read.

Grave Intervention - Shira Shiloah - (Illinois)
4.5★
Dr. Amir Hadad, a successful radiologist, hears an intruder. Hiding in the dark, the stranger whispers, “I can’t rest.” Alarmed and unwilling to risk his family’s safety, Amir contacts the police. Only there is no trace of an intruder, no marks of forced entry. If there is a stalker afoot, the police cannot find him. As the days wear on and Amir continues to hear the same disembodied voice speaking to him, he worries about his sanity. The Irish lilt has escalated from pleas for help to threats unless Amir helps the voice find rest – and revenge.

The story was inspired by true events that happened in Naperville, Illinois in the 1850's. It was very clever how the author took an old ghost story about an actual real person, Patrick Doyle, who lived in Naperville, Illinois, and made a story combining fact and fiction. Dr. Amir Hadad is a successful radiologist in Naperville, Illinois. He has a loving wife, Camille, and a young daughter, Sami. When Amir begins to hear the voice of an entity, he dismisses it until it returns with increasing frequency and terror. The police are called, but they can't find any evidence of an intruder. The family gets a dog but are unable to settle the families' growing fears. The voice grows louder and, after lots of careful research, they discover that it is the vengeful ghost of Irish immigrant, Patrick Doyle, who was hanged in 1854 for the murder of another immigrant in the town of Naperville. The very tree he was hung from is located adjacent to the Hadads’ home. Now it’s up to Amir to finally find a way to put Doyle’s spirit to rest. The novel showcases the historical relevance of Irish immigrants and their exodus to the United States. The result is a multicultural tale of intrigue, eternal unrest, and ghostly retribution. The story is based on recorded facts, but is it true? Who knows and who really wants to try to find out? However, if you are a fan of stories of the paranormal and suspenseful thrillers, you will probably like this sinister tale of a family haunted by the spirit of a ghostly historical figure.

Vanished - Kendra Elliot - (Oregon)
Callahan & McLane series Book #1
4★
When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces―he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered. Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer the girl is missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves drawn to each other.

Ava McLane is an FBI agent assigned to liaison with the family of the kidnapped liite girl. She and Mason are dedicated to uncovering the reason Henley was taken and to bringing her home. In working together, they find that there is much more to what has happened than just a simple kidnapping. With few clues to follow, they gradually uncover a vengeance plot that has taken meticulous planning and implementation. They also uncover a respect for each other, and these two dedicated people find a rare passion for something other than their jobs. This is a story of intrigue, suspense, revenge, and family. Even though Elliot's story starts out with the murder of one of Callahan's confidential informants, the story's focus is one of the turns of events after that murder. Elliot throws her readers a curve when the story changes direction and focuses on the kidnapping of a young eleven-year-girl. Both agents have issues from their pasts. As Callahan deals with his issues and McLane deals with hers, they both feel comfortable in each other's company. I liked that the story kept me guessing about the ending right up to the last page. Not a 5-star read since the story kind of skipped from past to present without much warning, but it certainly was a 4-star read.

>77 Carol420: I like her Bone Secrets series but I don't think I've read any of the others. Might have to check them out.

David Copperfield / Charles Dickens
2 stars

I can’t give much of a summary. It’s pretty much David Copperfield growing up, getting married, etc.

I listened to the audio and most of it was not actually interesting enough to listen to. So, I missed most of it. I found many names caught my attention, though, for some reason. Uraiah Heap (sp? he’s the ‘umble one – I caught that!), Peggarty, Macawber, Agnes, and Dora. Funny, the other thing with names (at least for the main character) is that he seemed to have a few nicknames and I even think I caught them, or some, anyway! So, I seemed to notice when names were mentioned, but didn’t pay enough attention to what actually was happening. I did catch a bit more of what happened at the end. And I did read a wikipedia summary maybe 1/3 of the way through the book so I might have some kind of idea what was going on. Too bad the book itself didn’t engage me enough that I knew what was happening as I listened, though. It’s another of the classics in the “miss” category for me, though I keep trying them!

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief / Lawrence Wright
3.5 stars

This is a detailed look at the history of Scientology, including a biography of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

The author talked to many people who have left Scientology, as well as a few still involved, but many who are still involved wouldn’t be interviewed. Given its close ties to various celebrities, there is much discussion of some of the celebrities who are involved. The book was published in 2013, so that’s that same time and before a couple of the other books I’ve read on Scientology (one written by Jenna Miscavige-Hill, the niece of the current leader of the religion/cult, and another written by actress Leah Remini). Miscavige-Hill was already running a website that is mentioned a few times in this book, though. The “church” (cult?) is plagued with accusations of human rights abuses, assaults, etc.

This was mostly interesting, but there were times (mostly within Hubbard’s biography section of the book) where I just couldn’t focus. I think I find the personal stories the most interesting (including the other books I’ve read), though this is a very well-researched detailed account. It’s pretty scary, though, that journalists, people who have left, etc, anyone who says anything against Scientology appear to be harassed, and in some cases, even framed for crimes they didn’t commit!

Badger Game by Michael Bowen
2 1/2 **

Those who like their mysteries witty and ingenious are in for a treat with "Badger Game," Michael Bowen's stylish crime fiction debut. Set in New York in 1962--the golden twilight of the city's greatest age--"Badger Game" introduces a magnificently motley cast of characters. Thomas Andrew Curry is a brilliant lawyer who has resigned from the Bar because of an incident in his checkered past but still free-lances for Curry & Furst, the family law firm. Sandrine Cadette--French by birth, rigorously Cartesian by education, and still bemused by American life--is the firm's indispensable Girl Friday. And "Badger Game" is the title of an avant-garde painting whose creator asks Thomas and Sandy to help him in a tricky lawsuite with a jealous rival artist.

I wish I could have given this historical mystery-thriller a higher star rating, but I just couldn't. The premise was brilliant but became bogged down with details that added nothing to the action. The mystery revolved around a conflict/clash/professional battle between artists in 1962 New York and a law firm that knew how to deal with questionable characters. That much was cleared up at the beginning. But how they tracked down the killer? What was the artistic drama/conflict really about? All these things became lost in endless observations by whichever narrator/POV happened to be telling that part of the story.