Continuing to enjoy this series

Mission Impawsible by Krista Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Continue to love this series; this one had some great new characters, and many plausible red herrings.

I like getting to know Oma and Holly more, as well as the other main Wagtail community members.

I am going to continue this series, and truly wish I could visit the setting in these books.

Beverage Pairings: This is truly a cozy series, so naturally any tea of your choice will be a great pairing.

Enjoyable MG mystery

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable MG book. The two main characters were interesting, and they had a supportive friendship.

While I appreciated their notebook entries, I am not sure how they added much to the plot; I think it would have been fine with just their chapter POV's.

If the story took place over a longer time frame, then I think the notebooks would have worked better. They weren't really distracting, but they didn't add much to the plot.

It always amazes me when two authors manage to write a novel together, and they did a very nice job with this story.

I thought the red-herrings, the plot twists, and the resolution were all done well.

Beverage Pairing: I am sure everyone will know which beverage to enjoy while reading this book: A glass of milk, naturally.

Enjoyable series.

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The premise sounded great, and I loved many things about the story.

The twists I wasn't expecting, and the one twist I was expecting were handeled adeptly.

The setting sounded intriguing, and I personally enjoyed the descriptions of the various fauna and the variety of crabs. (reading the afterword is helpful as well, in this regard).

I enjoyed reading more about Frankie's motivations, and liked many of the other characters.

The resolution for many was also a nice bonus, and I am left to wonder what happens next in Frankie's life. Hopefully this wasn't an ending for her. I expect she and one of the characters will partner up in a 4th book.

Beverage Pairings: A good chunk is set on an Atoll, thus you would expect some drinks with rum, but honestly a light beer for most of it will get you through the intensity of this plot. Afterwards, go to a bar and get yourself that tropical cocktail.

Total Cringe

Eruption by Michael Crichton
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I started this knowing full well that it would be over the top; a B movie in book form.

I don't personally care if it was more of Crichton's writing or Patterson's, I wanted a fun but believable disaster story.

The characters were ridiculous. Throughout we as readers are reading a countdown to the big eruuption (which is complicated by a military/environmental secret, which was literally the only thing I found believable..that a horrible waste product wouldn't be disposed of properly or cared for properly), yet while the characters (who also know exactly when the eruption will be) debate what to do, they also take time to go out for drinks and other unnecessary endeavors.

I do not mean they have months to prepare, this is when things are within days and then literally a few hours prior to the eruption. They have very petty squabbles on how to proceed (not learned debates on what makes the most sense). I probably sound petty here, but it is what made much of this unbelievable. Yes, there will be personality issues, and various opinions, and some people won't be respected who do indeed know a lot, in groups when things need to be figured out, but again, I just didn't buy the scenarios.

The main guy in charge, who happens to teach the local youth how to surf on the side, (I mean, seriously? He's from the mainland and he's teaching them to surf???) goes to the beach within hours of the eruption to see his favorite student??? Um, a phone call would have made more sense, but even then dude, time is ticking.....

Anyway, lots of reviews have bashed it because it doesn't read like a Crichton book. I have read a few of his, but as I said I wasn't expecting it to read like he wrote it. It had been a long buried draft, and Patterson took the project on at the behest of Crichton's wife.

I personally give loads of kudos to Patterson for his worthy work with literacy and independent bookstores. I truly love him for his work in those areas, and loved his early Alex Cross novels, his books for middle school students, and look forward to reading The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians.

I expected a fast read from him, but didn't quite expect the ludricousness of this plot.

I did put on hold a non-fiction book by Tamsin Mather Adventures in Volcano Land: What Volcanoes Tell Us About the World and Ourselves since volcanoes, and their potential eruptions, do indeed interest me.

Beverage Pairing Initially this was looking like a perfect pairing with any cold beverage of your choice, and a big bag of popcorn. A perfect B movie pairing, right? But, after just a bit the book was clearly turning into a not great book, and the only thing to drink would perhaps be chamomile tea or a tums or two to digest the blather in this book.

I enjoy this author's writing

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the 4th book in the Harbinder Kaur series, but it mostly focuses on characters we met in The Postscript Murders.

I enjoyed those characters, and it was nice to read about them again, but did wish Harbinder was featured more.

I found the mystery interesting, but the pace was a bit slow at times.

I didn't quite guess where it was all going, and that was enjoyable.

I wavered between a 3 and a 4 and went with the 4 because I do find the writing quite nice.



Beverage Pairing: Read with a nice pot of tea, or an occassional shot of espresso.

Slow start but overall a nice read

The Note: A Novel by Alafair Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this as an ARC from NetGalley.

Initially it didn't really grab me; it was quite slow, a bit convoluted in terms of their friendship, and the characters weren't terribly engaging.

I stuck with it, reading intermittingly between other more compelling (for me) reads.

Then it got interesting, and the murder mystery made me want to finish it. While it was somewhat easy to figure out the murderer, I did enjoy how it was solved.

The characters did eventually grow on me as well.

Beverage Pairing: A nice summer drink like a mojito would be the perfect pairing for this novel.

Lighthearted series

The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been enjoy Davis' other series (Paws and Claws), so thought I would try this series. I read the first book and enjoyed it; but rather than continuing the series as written (which would mean 15 more books) I jumped to the one just published which is the 17th.

Many of the characters were ones I met in the first book, so it was easy to read this one.

I enjoyed the mystery in this one, but didn't care as much for the little letters to Sophie and Natasha's respective columns that started each chapter. I simply got tired of the charcuterie board questions and responses, and didn't feel they added much to the story line. In the first book those letters were pertinent and set up an interesting relationship aspect between the women.

Relationships are key in this book, and made the main mystery even more intriguing.

Beverage Pairing: Sitting outside on a porch, or in your yard, read this with a nice chilled Pinot Gris. If you don't care for alcohol, or it is too early for wine, chilled peach juice would be perfect.

New setting in the series

A Limited Edition Murder by Lauren Elliott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had read earlier books in this series, but jumped ahead with this one. There had been numerous changes for the main character, Addie, since I had read the books, but this book easily caught me up.

I enjoyed the set-up, the mysteries, and the characters. Hopefully I will be on top of things and will pick up book 11 when it comes out.

Beverage Pairing: Even if you aren't in the UK, seek out a pub, order a pint of your favorite beer, and enjoy this book.

Summer read?

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the writing. As I started reading I was reminded of various Greek myths as well as the book, The Giver.

In all honesty keeping that book in mind is what kept me reading. There was a twist that surprised me (in hardcover version it was on page 142).

There were interesting philosophical questions raised at various points, that I appreciated (and continued to make me think of The Giver). Is it a Utopia or a Dystopia? That is probably the real mystery.

Beverage Pairing:

I think a nice sweet iced tea is perfect for this book. I know many might not feel this way, but this was kind of the perfect beach/summer read. Probably a bit more thought inducing than most summer reads, but that was my feeling when I finished the book.

King is the master of depicting characters

You Like It Darker by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this collection. Only one story was just okay for me.

I will do a simple blurb for each story.

1) Two Talented Bastids: Great story that I fell right into. Loved the line, "nothing can give you what already isn't there."

2) The Fifth Step: I knew there'd be a twist, but that was a doozy.

3) Willie the Weirdo: Creepy

4) Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream: Great characters, interesting premise, "belief is hard"

5) Finn: Just okay for me.

6) On Slide Inn Road: Really enjoyed this story. Could see it all.

7) Red Screen: Clever but kind of knew where it was going (not trying to imply I am clever..you will see what I mean when you read it.

8) The Turbulence Expert: Truly loved it. Can totally relate

9) Laurie: Wonderful dog story

10) Rattlesnakes: Three words: Cujo, Grief and ghosts. Great creepy story

11) The Dreamers: Scary. Could induce nightmares.

12) The Answer Man: Just a beautiful story.

It's all in the characters. King is simply a master with his characters. His afterword is worthy too.

Beverage Pairing: A nice french roast for most of the stories. Perhaps lemonade for Rattlesnakes

An okay stranded on an island story

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have read many of Ware's books, the majority of which I have rated a 4. This one was just ok. I didn't care for Lyla mostly because despite being a scientist and very logical and analytical (she refers to herself this way) she often wasn't logical at all. She was totally surprised at various points, whether it was the weather and its impact, the fact that she was looking at a dead body, or her own career (I mean maybe I just don't understand, but the bit about losing her job because her results weren't showing what the original scientist showed...I mean isn't the point to prove or disprove the research when you are given the role she had? Shouldn't the onous have been on the original researcher?)

Anyway, she just didn't come across as logical to me.

While I guess I could see someone reading a brief summary of the premise and then suggesting this was along the lines of "And Then There Were None" I don't think that is a valid comparison. The better comparison would probably be (view spoiler)[Big Little Lies since the woman end up supporting each other via the murder of Conor (hide spoiler)] but even that isn't a great comparison.

This didn't have the thriller vibe to me, nor was it much of a mystery. I still overall love Ware's books, and will read some I have missed of hers, as well as her future books, but this one was just an ok read.

Beverage Pairing: A Mai Tai, for the sunset coloring of the drink, and the island vibe. Perhaps you could also drink a hurricaine due to the storm that takes place.

Scary premise

I love Lucas, Virgil and now Letty. The premise of this book was scary and believable. Especially when you consider what could happen, if this group had been in some of the cities suggested at the start of their plan.

I do tend to skim some action scenes in books, and felt some of those scenes in this book could have been shortened.

Having said that the resolution did seem believable, and I was glad it wasn't totally rosy.

Beverage Pairing: I am not entirely sure why, but I pictured reading this while drinking an iced tea on a front porch. Probably because there were numerous houses and cabins depicted here, many with a front porch.

Started suspensefully and remained suspenseful

That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Suspenseful from the start to the finish. Two narrators, both voiced quite well.

Really liked the friendship aspect between Drew, Autumn and Max

Twist I wasn't expecting at the end

Beverage Pairing

This book can be enjoyed with a nice cup of Chamomile tea. You will need something to calm you through the suspense.

Extinction by Douglas Preston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is pretty much an action story that starts off as a mystery. A young couple is suddenly and violently missing, thus the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and a local sheriff start to investigate.

The resort the couple was visiting features "deextincted" wooly mammoths and other herbivores.

The CBI investigator, Cash, immediatly suspects much is being hidden from her as she attempts to investigate, and while the reader may readily figure things out, the reveal for the characters was exciting and suprising. I do think they were a little slow on the uptake, but it was easy to picture their realization of the horror of what was being done.

Beverage pairing: While you don't truly need caffeine to enjoy this book (the pacing will keep you awake), it is best paired with a nice coffee made from Arabica beans.

A two drink pairing for Out of Bounds and 4 out of 5 stars.

This is the 4th book in a series and there are numerous cases to keep track of. These cases involve a plane bombing, a deadly car accident, a suspected murder, and an older murder that initially brings Karen into all of these cases. I did enjoy reading how some of the various cases tied together.

I really enjoy the character development in this series. The friendships Karen has with colleagues and others. The disdain she has for inept investigators, and how she proves some of them wrong.

She also is dealing with grief which I thought was realistically portrayed. As a result of her grief she has insomnia and walks at night. This leads to a friendship with refugees that results in an unique collaboration. This had shown up in the first Karen Pirie novel I read, which was actually the 7th one written, and prompted me to start the series. so it was really wonderful to see the genesis of that.

Beverage Pairing:

The obvious choice is a gin and tonic, as that is Karen's drink of choice. She routinely tries various gins with a friend who also misses and grieves the loss of Phil. I personally am not a huge gin and tonic fan, but for some reason associate that drink with summer. So I propose you enjoy this novel with my summer drink of choice: A nice, cold Portuguese Vino Verde. Both drinks are refreshing, and in my mind, with all that happens in this novel, hope for the future. The hope that summer sometimes brings us all.

First in Series and First with new blog format

The Defense by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I came across this series as a result of reading "Kill for me Kill for you"

This is an adrenaline pumping book, and is not the type of book I would normally pick up. I didn't particularly believe a couple of the situations and how they were resolved, but I went with it because I so wanted Eddie to prevail.

It is propulsive and could easily be made into a movie. I am putting the 2nd book on hold at the library.

Best Pairing: Enjoy this book while drinking a Guiness Stout I had imagined I would pair most books with one of my 3 favorite drink choices: coffee, wine or tea. Planned on specifying which of those fit the mood best, and getting specific with vintage (examples: Merlot, Arabica, Jasmine) I rarely drink beer, but this book made me think of reading this in a dimly lit and quiet bar (probably on a Kindle due to the lighting) while drinking a Guiness. I pictured the narrator, Eddie, if he had time to (he definetly doesn't in this story) contemplating the best way to get out of the horrible situation he finds himself in, in this setting.

Reconfiguring this blog

I am going to reformat this blog, or create a new one with a different set-up and focus. I have recently simply been copy and pasting my Goodreads reviews, but I want to change things up here a bit. I have attended a few events where winerys and bookstores are partnering up. Each one I have attended has had great aspects. Some are better with their wine tasting portion, others with their books. I am going to try to include in my reviews what each book would be best paired with i.e which wine, tea or coffee would fit the mood of the book. This might mean I create a whole new blog, rather than reformatting this one, and it is just an idea at this point.

Solid start to a series

Crime and Parchment by Daphne Silver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Very nice start to a new cozy series. The setting in MD was believable, and the reason she might stay in that area after helping solve this initial case are plausible. I loved the idea of the cover of the "Book of Kells" somehow ending up in MD, sparking the curiosity of the main character, who deals with rare books at the Library of Congress.

Her name, Juniper, along with the sister's name Azalea were coincidentally very similar to names in another cozy mystery I am reading now, so it did make me question my tendency to read mulptiple books at the same time. Fortunately it didn't cause me too much confusion keeping track of the respective storylines.

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Enjoyable series

Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed book 2 more than book 1. The character development is progressing nicely and this mystery was interesting, and nicely plotted.

This is a series I will continue reading.

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Decent story

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Decent mystery, and I enjoyed the main character, especially the friendship history with her friend Adora.

While I did suspect who was at fault, I felt the resolution could have been developed a bit better. Not sure if it is a set-up for a sequel?

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Needed an easy read

French Pressed by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I needed a somewhat easy read after a tough issue non-fiction book, and the 6th in this series was in my TBR pile.

The mystery was good, the red-herrings plausible, and the character development was decent with the supporting characters.

Book 7 is already on hold at the library.

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Depressing but necessary reading

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States by Ana Raquel Minian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An historical look at immigration and various policies that are truly awful, like entry fiction (meaning asylum seekers "had never actually entered the country" and "could be held at detention centers indefinetly without basic constitutional rights").

The history of Guantonomo Bay, first used with Haitian refugees in the first Bush administration, and other issues like for profit prisons being used for asylum seekers are addressed as well.

The crux of the book follows 4 asylum seekers from different eras. This reminded me of Alan Gratz's excellent book, "Refugee" A young adult book that highlights 3 fictional refugees from different eras.

This non-fiction work is intense and depressing. The inability of humans to see other humans as fully human is our worst trait. The use of laws and profits to debase other humans is utterly unfathomable, but is factual.

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Excellent

James by Percival Everett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The language and word play (in a variety of senses) made this book great. I haven't read any of Everett's works before this, but will do so now.



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Possible series?

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought the premise was interesting, and since I enjoyed "Knives Out" that comparison drew me to picking up the book.

It isn't anything like "Knives Out" in my opinion, but was a decent mystery. I am not sure how it can become a series, and hope the series doesn't include using Frances' journals again as that became a tiring bit in this book.

Some characters I can see getting developed better if this does become a series.

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Will read him again

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Captured that era well, and it was a good courtroom drama. Compelling characters and a strong narrative.

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Powerful

Woman, Life, Freedom by Marjane Satrapi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent and powerful collection of art and writing. Some very brave individuals dealing with extreme situations.

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Great for HS students

HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience by Ayesha Rascoe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice collection of essays about attending HBCU's. I have many friends and colleagues who did so, and this collection highlights more than Morehouse, Spellman and Howard.

I pickded up the book because I love listening to Ayesha Rascoe on NPR.

This would be great to hand to HS students contemplating their college choices.

I hadn't heard of a few of the HBCU's that were highlighted here, so that was enlightening.

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Not really a rom-com

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This started as a 3, but in the end it became a 2 for me. I had a hard time with Helena, the main character. And, didn't fully buy the romance.

I thought this book would deal more with grief due to the tragic nature of her sister's suicide. While on the one hand you can see how it has affected her, and the ending provides some growth on her part, I honestly think the whole arc would have been better without the romance and instead a friendship between the two of them. I say this because the unnecessary sex scenes didn't make it a romance, and neither did their regular interactions. They did have moments of true friendship though, and I think that would have been a more solid novel as it would tie in grief and forgiveness in a much more realistic manner. In my humble view rom-com's need more humor with missed opportunities etc. This had more anger (perhaps the anger was realistic) and it just never therefor met the rom com criteria.

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One of my favorite series

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series, and this one was just great. Though it is a closed case, so a different set up between Hawthorne & Horowitz, it was a strong narrative with a great mystery.

I honestly simply loved it.

If you haven't read this series, you will need to start from the begining ("The Word is Murder") to truly appreciate this 5th one.

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Decent series start

Body and Soul Food by Abby Collette
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the premise, and liked the store Koby and Keaton have created. The mystery itself was compelling, and there were many decent suspects.

A few plot holes in my opinion, mostly with who was on the train and what the detective discovered (or apparently didn't). I felt Keaton in particular had various possible clues, but didn't follow up in any reasonable way. While that would typically cause me to give the book a 2, or possibly even a 1, I did find the writing decent enough to say I liked the book.

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Ending not great

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first part of the book was better than the conclusion.

I will admit the twist surprised me a bit. However, the actual resolution didn't really make sense. I think the police would have believed the scenario as it played out, so honestly that kind of ruined it for me. The police should have been called once Bel heard the truth.

The last bit of the book was entirely unbeliveable and unnecessary.

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Continuing this series

Murder Most Howl by Krista Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable. I continue to like the characters, the town, and this book's mystery was a good one. I suspected who it was early on, but didn't know the motive.
This resolution was well thought out, and the red herrings were all developed nicely.

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Loved it

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xóchitl González
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Truly loved this book. I thought the characterizations were great, and the differing timelines interesting. I felt the issues both women dealt with, whether it was racism, classism or misogny were handled realistically.

I liked the aspects of Raquel discovering who to trust in her life; who truly supported her and who didn't beautifully portrayed.

I have seen some reviews giving the book a 1 due to allegations that the author didn't discuss the novel with Ana Mendieta's (the artist whom Anita is based on) family. While I understand the family being upset by this, and I certainly am not a family member so can't speak to their views at all, I believe this book brings to light Ana's legacy to those of us who weren't aware of her.

I felt the writing was excellent, and I for one came to discover Ana as a result, and have been blown away by her art that I have found online.

I also enjoyed the supernatural aspects of this story, and understand others didn't

Books speak to each of us differently. I loved this one

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Really loved this as an audiobook

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I initially started this on my Kindle, but was reading late at night and at one point got confused by the time-frames (this was totally my issue with being sleepy).
Returned that version to the library, and waited for the audio to be available.
The narrator is great, I was listening while driving or doing chores, and didn't get mixed up with which time-frame I was listening to.

The characters are the heart of this novel. Rachel and her roomate James are best friends, and their relationship is realistically and wonderfully portrayed. The other characters are also well developed. At times heartbreaking, and others incredibly funny.

Truly enjoyed everything about this (keep in mind this is more character driven than plot, but there are twists and a good resolution)

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Great start to a series I will continue

The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the most recent in the series first (prone to this as I discover many series late in the game). I enjoyed that one so much I decided to go to the start.

I really enjoy the characters Shelton has created. This first mystery was a good one, and many of the characters in the most recent one, were with Delaney from the start of her Scottish adventure.

I did have to put aside the implausibility of her finding this interesting opportunity in Edinburgh, right after being laid off from a job in Kansas, but that's the beauty of fiction. When it is well done, you go with it.

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An easy read

The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise was great, and I rooted for TJ throughout. However, I didn't quite buy the resolution. I am not writing any spoilers with my next bit, but in case some people feel they are I will hide it. (view spoiler)[Right away the reader knows John is up to no good. TJ makes many boneheaded decisions despite this. Throughout TJ is easily the fall guy, and folks buy into his relapsing readily without any direct evidence.

The family is hard to like, and it's really hard to believe them coming together in the end. The mom's excuses, John being a truly awful person and the dad being blind to it all. Gabby of course was decent, but I think she could have confided in TJ sooner. Regarding non family members, Stan's overreaction at the funeral etc. seems over the top. This whole turn of easily thinking TJ is a drunk ruining everything for Stan was hard to believe, unless Stan was part of the scam which he ends up not being.
It is clear TJ is a truly likeable guy (I mean quickly adopting the medically needy cat should have been a sign of innocence) based on his office interactions, and how people greet him who haven't seen him in a bit. So again, I didn't quite buy the family's supposedly being great when they quickly feel he relapsed, without any direct knowledge. (hide spoiler)]
I finished because I wanted TJ vindicated, but couldn't decide if this was a 2 or a 3 It is probably a 2.5 in all fairness, but that balance between ok and I liked it is somewhat nuanced. I went with a 2 because "it was OK" is a better way of saying what I felt about this book.

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Each related narrative was great

Weyward by Emilia Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three related women share their stories (various generations including one from the 1600's). Interesting stories, often grim. Great writing and a compelling plot. I find bugs creepy, but this made me think a bit more highly of them. Though I am sure if I see one or two suddenly near me, I will probably jump.

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Still enjoying this series

Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have started this series from the beginning, after initially reading the latest, #20. It has been fun to go back to see where the characters started.

This, book 5, was better than the previous 4 in terms of the mystery and the solution.

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Beautiful book, but you'll need kleenex

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Received this ARC from NetGalley. I absolutely loved this book. I loved Lenny, and many of the other characters. Of course there are awful characters too, but they were described perfectly.

I loved Malcolm the dog, Scrabble games with Monica, the word play Lenny does. She came to life for me. I feared for her, rooted for her, and was ultimately happy for her. This does deal with memory issues and trauma. It is heartbreakingly sad, but also uplifting.

I think it will be published in July, 2024

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Another Amnesia trope

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another book where the main character isn't sure if she murdered someone or not. An odd trope that has recently gotten more popular, or I have just discovered a few of these recently.

This was a decent one, with plausible suspects including the main character. Her sarcastic humor has helped her a bit as she reluctantly agrees to participate in a cold case podcast (I honestly thought to be a cold case it needed to be longer than 5 years, and not sure why the investigation didn't really seem to occur when it happened. I mean like seriously, that part was not explained at all. Everyone thinks it's her, but no arrest? Okay, maybe, but no explanation, no police reports, in fact Ben the podcaster doesn't ever interview anyone from the police dept)

The setting is a small town in Texas. The only notable thing about this particular small town is that affairs seem to take place constantly. It was actually pretty ridiculous to discover how many people had affairs and who they had them with. This was the main motive for the various red herrings, and I didn't buy it. But who knows, maybe a lot of people have that kind of energy and magnetism to have a ton of partners.

Overall I liked it because it kept me wanting to find out the truth, and the snarky humor helped as well.

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Cute Cozy

Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This has a fun premise for a cozy mystery series. The characters are engaging, and the mystery was decent (though I had guessed an odd aspect to it, but thought it was too odd to be plausible). (view spoiler)[the bit about concrete being used in the fortune cookies hit me due to her fortune about suffocating in concrete, but really thought that was too crazy to be actually used. I would think it would cause even more harm to customers than it did with that party of Moana's (hide spoiler)]

I liked the focus on her friend Kelvin, the shops nearby and her family.

Will read the second one when it comes out.

p.s I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, and happy to have read it earlier than my hold at the local library would have allowed.

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Best of 3

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This makes a trio in terms of recently read books dealing with haunted houses.
One I gave a 3 to, primarily due to the narrative voice and humor
The 2nd I gave a 2 since it was just ok, the major flaw being no true explanation or world building.

This one gets a 4 from me because there was an explanation, and world building. I also appreciated that the couple told their friends about the odd things happening in their house. It seemed realistic that they would tell people versus keeping it quiet. This also allowed them to have friends doing their best, in the end, to assist them (I won't share here how succesful this was or wasn't).

I haven't read previous books by this author, but he is on my radar now.

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Will start the series from the beginning

Fateful Words by Paige Shelton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Started this series with this book, and enjoyed it so much will read the series from the start.
The characters were engaging, the red-herrings believable, and the solution made sense.

There's one aspect that conceivably could create a plausible follow-up, since with a couple of characters questions remain, but not sure if this is how she leads into each new book of this series.

Another reason to read the full series, and why I enjoyed this book so much, is that Edinburg is on my travel bucket list. I loved getting glimpses of the city via this book.

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Great story telling, but that ending....

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The writing is incredible. A true master class in character develpment. Cass's voice is amazing, as is PJ's. Murray is incredibly skilled at writing from the perspective of a child and a teen.

I honestly can't say much about the plot as I fear writing anything will ruin the storyline for others.

I also enjoyed the narratives from Dickie and Imelda, but was blown away by Cass's and PJ's in terms of an adult male writing them.

This is my first book by Murray, and at some point I will read his others.

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Learned a bit

There Will Be Fire: Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and Two Minutes That Changed History by Rory Carroll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I somehow wasn't aware of this particular bombing, that came close to harming Thatcher. This was during the time of The Troubles. An interesting narrative, that highlights what happened in Brighton in 1984, and details some other aspects of that time-frame.


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Just an ok read

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am sitting here debating whether this is a 2 or a 3. I went with a 2 because it was "just ok" for me. I liked some aspects. It gives off a bit of a creepy vibe that kept me reading and waiting for some thrills, but overall it didn't add up for me.

I honestly had issues with people's ages, and while it could make sense in a paranormal way perhaps, there was absolutely no explanation for characters to have been a certain age in 1963 (at the youngest 22 perhaps up to 30ish), and apparently robust and fighting off others on the rooftop in the current day and time. And Lillian's age was really confusing. Flirting and possibly dating Chad as if she and Rosie are the same age, yet she was a child in 1963?

At one point I thought we were going with a vampire story, but that didn't come to pass.

I don't mind paranormal, but I do need a bit more world building in that area to explain what caused various elements of the story.

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Continues the great legacy of MHC

It Had to Be You by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MHC was my go to mystery author in HS (possibly MS), after a slew of Nancy Drew books when younger. Alafair Burke does a great job of continuing MHC's legacy.

I loved the set-up of this book, and rooted for many of the characters. The red herrings were great, causing me to go back and forth with who I felt was guilty.

The only quibble I had was it seemed like it would have been harder than it seemed here, for the guilty to keep the secret for as long as they did.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley

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Creepy YA horror

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This engaged me throughout, and I worried about many of the characters (which kept me reading). Feels more like a YA horror than a thriller. Deals with grief, and revenge in a unique manner.

Not sure I liked the ending; it didn't wrap up terribly smoothly for me.

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Funny and engaging

When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown by Kenan Thompson


I tend not to rate memoirs. This one is a bit different from some though, as it isn't revealing a huge scandal or difficult childhood etc., but I will still stick with not putting stars on it.

Listened to the audio, which was Kenan himself. Enjoyable, and interesting overall.
Light and funny, and over-all respectful of other actors and comedians.

The chapter on being single though, he kind of references women in a typicaly "bro" manner though, which was odd.

But, I enjoyed listening to him, and remember his shows from when he was a kid. I do watch SNL, so it was interesting to hear about and remember his early years on it.

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Decent sequel

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An enjoyable follow-up, and a series I will continue reading.

The mystery this time involves the mayor's death, and all the varied suspects seem plausible. Decent resolution as well.

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Hurricaine and human antagonists

One Deadly Eye by Randy Wayne White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had been an avid reader of this series, but skipped some of the recent ones (and started his YA series, but only read a couple; both decent).

It was nice to catch back up, and there were a few developments I hadn't been aware of, in Ford's life.
I particularly enjoyed the hurricane description, and the focus on Sammy and his group and their attempts to deal with the horrible storm

I also enjoyed the banter between Ford and other characters.

I didn't care for the level of brutality described that dealt with the human antagonists though, and while I thought the idea of awful people targeting hurricaine victims, and know this takes place, this aspect in the novel was a bit too much and a bit too unbelievable.

The book ends on a cliff hanger in terms of a couple of important people in Ford's life, which I won't detail to avoid spoilers, and due to the fact that I read an ARC via NetGalley

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