Review: Pumpkin Spice Peril by: Jenn McKInlay

Title: Pumpkin Spice Peril
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery #12
Format: Kindle e-book ARC 272 (p)
Source: NetGalley

Description:

In the twelfth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew follows the clever crumb trail of a killer who's anything but cookie-cutter.

Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers--Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers. Until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead.

Local glass artist and cupcake lover Rene Fischer-Klein has always suffered from a wide variety of health issues. In an effort to cheer her up, her doting husband, Peter, brings her a four-pack of her favorite cupcakes every week. But when the police discover that Rene has been poisoned, there's no sugarcoating the fact that the last things she ate were the bakery's signature pumpkin spice cupcakes! With their lives and bakery at stake, it's up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why, before their future is frosted for good. 

My Thoughts: 

In this book we learn some news about Angie which has everyone in a bustle add to it that local glass artist Rene has an upcoming show that Mel and Angie are hired to supply with cupcakes when Mel decides to visit Rene to finalize the recipe but finds her friend is anything but fine.  Next thing you know Rene is dead and so many are wondering what happened/?

Will Mel be able to put it all together or will she wind up facing a similar fate?  So much was going on in this book it pulled you in until you were immersed with the DeLaura family and Mel and her family wondering how it will play out and what the future will hold for Mel and Angie.  I enjoyed this series even more than the Hannah Swenson series.  The characters feel more real and yes they have their flaws but they don't let them drag them down!

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Review: Rotten To The Core by: Sheila Connolly

Title: Rotten To The Core
Author: Sheila Connolly
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: Orchard Mystery #2
Format: e-book (304 p.)
Source: Personal Purchase

Description:

Spring has come to Meg Corey's apple orchard—and it's quickly becoming a killer season. Just as she's getting the hang of managing the two-hundred-year-old orchard she's inherited, the dead body of a local organic farming activist is found in her springhouse. And the only thing that's sprung is a murder accusation—against her...

The young man's body was found with traces of pesticide poisoning. Strange for someone opposed to all things chemical. And why did someone plant his body on Meg's land—when Meg hadn't even met him? Now Meg needs to pick her actions wisely and get rid of the seed of suspicion that's been planted before the orchard—and her future—is spoiled for good.

My Thoughts:

In this book Meg Corey's apple orchard is starting to shape up that is until a man is found dead in her springhouse.  Meg can't believe her luck of another body and it being related to the local college.  Meg is determined to find out what is going on and why?  Will she find out or will her time be sprung?

I love this series with the theme of small town and apples which makes things so fun.  Meg is also working with a new worker to her farm Bree the farm manager.  I think she will make a good friend to Bree as she learns about farm managing and how Bree handles the job.

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Review: Deadly Forecast by: Victoria Laurie

Title: Deadly Forecast
Author: Victoria Laurie
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: Psychic Eye Mystery #11
Format: Hardcover (384 p.)
Source: Library

Description:

Wedding bells are ringing for psychic Abigail Cooper. But her senses are tingling that her fiancé, Dutch, is in danger. And he’s not the only one.…

ON HER WEDDING DAY, ABBY’S A TICKING TIME BOMB.

  It’s said to be good luck if it rains on your wedding day, but Abby sees something darker than storm clouds on the horizon. She’s just had a disturbing premonition of her fiancé’s murder. Her husband-to-be has been assigned to a case involving a series of bombings, and Abby’s spirit guides warn her of imminent danger.

FBI agent Dutch Rivers is keeping his cool, but Abby can’t quell her anxiety. After another bombing at a local beauty salon, Abby vows to do everything in her power to keep Dutch safe and get him to the altar. But on the morning of the ceremony, she finds herself in a dire situation, with time running out…. 

My Thoughts: 

Finally the day Abby has waited for is here time to get married to Dutch, what she didn't count on is the bomb strapped to her chest.  As Dutch and their friends hunt for Abby, she has to keep her distance or else Dutch could die too.  Will Dutch figure it out in time?

This book was a definite back and forth between Dutch and their friends trying to find Abby and Abby with the bomber.  It had you on the edge of your seat trying to get to the bottom of it.  Hoping Dutch would be able to piece the situation together and save Abby in the process!  It was definitely the bumpiest ride Abby has had in the whole book series and definitely pulled me back in like I never left them.  Can't wait to see what is next for this group of friends!

Next in the series is: 

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Review: Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries by: Tonya Kappes

Title: Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries
Author: Tonya Kappes
Publisher: Createspace Independent
Series: A Camper & Criminals Cozy #1
Pages:  212
Format: kindle e-book
Source: Kindle Unlimited

Description:

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal.

Mae West, a far cry from the Hollywood actress, has been thrown for a loop. Her plush lifestyle in the big city of New York comes to a screeching halt after the FBI raids her mansion and arrests her husband, Paul West, for a Ponzi scheme that rips people out of millions of dollars.

Mae finds herself homeless, friendless, and penniless. All hope isn't lost. . .the only thing Mae got to keep that the government didn't seize is a tourist camp ground, Happy Trails, in Normal, Kentucky and an RV to live in. One problem, Mae's idea of camping has room service.

By the look of the brochure, Happy Trails has plush Kentucky Bluegrass, a crystal clear lake, a beach chair with her name on it and thoughts of how much money it could bring her after she sells it. Mae figures she'll take a couple weeks vacation with her toes dipped in the lake. Things aren't always as they appear. The Kentucky Bluegrass is nothing but dirt and the crystal clue lake is murky with green slime on top.

Mae quickly find out that Happy Trails and the citizens of Normal were also victims of Paul's schemes, making her lower than the lake scum in the residents' eyes. Mae doesn't think things could get much worse, but as luck would have it, Paul West has escaped from prison and is found dead, murdered, floating in the Happy Trails mucky green lake.

Mae is the number one suspect on Detective Hank Sharp's short list. After all, Mae has the perfect motive as a kept wife who has been scorned to ashes, embarrassed to death, and seeking revenge.

Time is running out for Mae to prove that she's innocent and nothing like her husband. If only she could get someone to believe her and talk Detective Sharp into looking at other residents who've lost all their savings to Paul's Ponzie scheme before the curtain is closed on this Hollywood namesake. 

My Thoughts: 

This is the first book in the Campers and Criminals cozy series in it we find the heroine or amateur sleuth Mae West is having a very bad time.  When her ex-husband Paul West is in jail for a Ponzi scheme.  She has to give up the lifestyle Paul put her in and figure out where to go when everything is gone.  In this case with a camper to Normal Kentucky to Happy Trails the only thing left that Mae owns.  After looking at a brochure for the property Mae figures she can stay there long enough to sell the property.  What she didn't count on was the mess the property really was.  Happy Trails needs some massive TLC to make it even approachable by buyers.  

While assessing the property with the local handyman they stumble upon Paul West a very dead very escaped from jail Paul West.  The heat is turned up on Mae as to why Paul was here and if she had a hand in his demise.  Mae is determined to give Paul the justice he didn't give other people by finding out who killed him and why.

While sleuthing she also meets a group of women known as The Laundry Club who welcome her in. They make her one of their own and try to help her adjust to Normal.  Will Mae figure out who killed her husband and why?

I enjoyed this step into another series of Tonya Kappes.  She has an incredible ability to spin a story that pulls you in and you find the book a quick read which makes you want to continue the adventure with Mae and The Laundry Club.

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Review: Step On a Crack by: James Patterson

Title: Step on a Crack
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little Brown & Co
Series: Michael Bennett #1
Pages: 383
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:

Patterson and Ledwidge introduce a new hero in an exciting thriller set in the heart of Manhattan. NYPD detective Michael Bennett is concentrating on getting his family through a particularly difficult Christmas: he and his 10 adopted children are facing the loss to cancer of his brave wife, Maeve. But a major crisis calls him away: the funeral of a former First Lady at St. Patrick's Cathedral goes horribly awry when men storm the church and take hundreds of attendees hostage. 

Michael is asked to try to reason with a sinister man named Jack. Jack releases all but the most famous people, and makes his demands: he wants several million dollars from each celebrity hostage, including the mayor, a popular comedic actor, a beloved talk show host, and a pop starlet. Once Jack starts killing, Michael realizes he's up against a truly diabolical foe. Patterson has a knack for creating genuinely likable heroes, and Michael fits the bill. 

As readers rapidly turn the pages to learn how the tense hostage drama plays out, they will also be sympathizing with Michael as he faces the agonizing loss of his wife. Totally gripping and downright impossible to put down, this is a promising start to a potential new series.

My Thoughts: 

In this book we are introduced to NYPD detective Michael Bennett who has his hands full.  He has 10 adopted children and a wife dying in the hospital and gets called in to negotiate with Jack a man with a big mean streak.  Michel is trying to juggle eveything at once.

This book really became a game of cat and mouse.  With the NYPD trying to rsolve this as soon as possible which get more complicated as the book progresses along.  That and trying to figure out how to handle the fact his wife is dying, and he'll soon be the sole parents of 10 kids. Can Michael do it all in time, or will his time run out?

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Bennett and his family.  Also getting to see Michael figure out the case and catch the bad guy was definitely worth it.  I can't wait to read what is next for Michael Bennett and his family!

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Review: Louisiana Longshot by: Jana DeLeon

Title: Louisiana Longshot
Author: Jana DeLeon
Publisher: Kindle
Series: Miss Fortune Mystery #1
Pages: 232
Format: Kindle e-book
Source: Book Club/ Personal Purchase

Description:

It was a hell of a longshot...

CIA Assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever--in Sinful, Louisiana.

With a leak at the CIA and a price on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.

Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.

Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late. 

My Thoughts:

I have had this sitting in my kindle for so long I don't know why I didn't start sooner.  Fortune Redding has returned home after a botched CIA mission in the middle east.  Her boss has no choice but to place her in witness protection where only three people know where she is assuming the role of the director's niece cleaning out someones house in the butt hole of Louisiana known as Sinful where just about anything and everything is illegal.  Her alias is a librarian/beauty queen.  Something Fortune knows nothing about.  Give her a good gun and she's all set ask her to do her nails and well you might not want to stick around for that.

Fortune quickly meets to old ladies who are anything but what they appear like. When a bone shows up in Fortune's residence it's up to her to figure out what happened, although her new friends won't let her go at it alone. They are a group of old women called  Sinful Ladies Society run by Ida Belle and Gracie who were determined to find their friend Marie. Whose on the hook for the bone.  Who killed Marie's missing husband and why?  Will the local hot detective arrest Fortune or just jail her so he can get some sleep?

This book was incredible funny and sassy with women who are great at showing they can do just as much if not more than men.  I loved it and couldn't put it down at all!  If you love fun, sass and adventure like you've never seen this is the book for you!

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Review: A Visitation of Angels by:: Carolyn Haines

Title: A Visitation of Angels
Author: Carolyn Haines
Publisher: Good Fortune Farm Refuge
Series: Pluto's Snitch #4
Pages: 382
Format: e-book
Source: Personal Purchase

Description:

*100% of all proceeds will be donated to Good Fortune Farm Refuge which will help animals receive medical treatment and loving homes.

Elizabeth Maslow is an educated woman living in the isolated town of 1920’s Mission, Alabama. She’s defied the town’s definition of a woman’s place—she’s unmarried and given birth to a child with webbed hands and feet. In a town fraught with superstitions and religious repression, Elizabeth is dangerous.

But Elizabeth is much more than an unwed mother. Since the birth of Callie, who she believes is fathered by an angel, she’s been able to “dream the truth.” And she’s determined to testify in behalf of Slater McEachern, a man charged with the brutal murder of a local woman. Elizabeth insists McEachern is innocent. She’s determined to speak, no matter the cost.

Spirit detectives Raissa and Reginald arrive to help Elizabeth save McEachern—before she ends up on the gallows with him. Raissa and Reginald must unravel a crucial question. Does Elizabeth’s gift come from an angel, or from something much, much darker? In the world of spirits and the dead, Raissa has learned to trust no one, especially not the dead. The dead lie.

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Raissa and Reginald who are called to investigate by Elizabeth Maslow whose adament that a man is about to die for something he didn't do.  When they arrive in Mission they find out it's not as forward thinking as other towns.  Raissa and Elizabeth should be in the kitchen tending hom and not asking questions or in the case of Elizabeth having a child out of wedlock with webbed hands and feet.  Will they figure out who killed Ruth a local woman and why?  Did Slater McEachern do it or is someone that determined that he should pay for another's crime?

As they investigate a dark entity keeps appearing to the girls claiming to be Gabriel, but is he who he says he is or is it something more sinister?  What does the entity want and how many will be impacted before Raissa and Reginald get to the bottom of it?

I love this series they are deep and engaging and keep you going wondering how it will end?  For anyone who loves a geat ghost story or good vs evil will definitely be captivated by this series as I was!

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Review: The Teaberry Strangler by: Laura Childs

Title: The Teaberry Strangler
Author: Laura Childs
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: A Tea Shop Mystery #11
Pages: 303
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:

It was the Dickensian evening Theodosia Browning had been hoping for. Charleston shop-owners dressed in cloaks of yore threw open their back doors to visitors, who took advantage of bargains and Theodosia's delicious teas.

But later, the alleys clear except for one body- which a horrified Theodosia discovers. It's Daria, the map store's owner. Locals have shown interest in buying her shop-but enough to kill? Plus there's been a customer hell-bent on acquiring a not-for­sale map. Most alarming of all theories, however, is Detective Tidwell's: the killer mistook Daria for Theodosia. And if that theory holds, the killer's work isn't done.

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Theo, and her friends as Theo witnesses a murder and gets asked later to find out what happened and who did the deed.  Theo is adamant she is not a sleuth.  Things just kind of fall in her lap.  Will Theo figured out who killed Daria and why?  Or is really a case of mistaken identity?  Theo is more determined then ever when it is alluded to that Theo may have been the intended target, to get to the bottom of the whole situation!

I love Theo and her friends and co-workers.  She has the ability to not let things go and really get to the truth while also brewing great cups of tea.  I started this series late and am sort of back tracking with some of these books but Ms. Childs is a fabulous storyteller.  Not letting go until the truth is revealed.

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Review: Ali Cross by: James Patterson

Title: Ali Cross
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: jimmy patterson
Series: Ali Cross #!
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:

Alex's son Ali is eager to follow in his father's footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?<

Ali Cross has always looked up to his father, former detective and FBI agent Alex Cross. While solving some of the nation's most challenging crimes, his father always kept his head and did the right thing. Can Ali have the same strength and resolve?

When Ali's best friend Abraham is reported missing, Ali is desperate to find him. At the same time, a string of burglaries targets his neighborhood---and even his own house. With his father on trial for a crime he didn't commit, it's up to Ali to search for clues and find his friend. But being a kid sleuth isn't easy---especially when your father warns you not to get involved!---and Ali soon learns that clues aren't always what they seem. Will his detective work lead to a break in Abraham's case or cause even more trouble for the Cross family?

My Thoughts:

This book follows Alex Cross's son Ali who is desperate at finding his friend.  As he looks into where his friend went a bunch of robbery's are happening all around Ali.  Add to that the pressure from his father's upcoming trial has Ali all over the place.  Will Ali find his friend in time?  Is he dead or alive?

Watching Ali is liking watching a very young Alex Cross try to figure out what works for him as a detective.  Also seeing where Ali falls short and his temper gets the best of him at times.  I thoroughly enjoyed Ali.  I can see he will be definitely following in his father's footsteps as he ages.

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Review: Naked in Death by: J. D. Robb

Title: Naked in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Berkley Publishing
Series: In Death #1
Pages: 306
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Purchase

Description:

Here is the novel that started it all- the first book in J.D. Robb's number-one New York Times-bestselling In Death series, featuring New York homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.

It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.

When a senator's granddaughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.

My Thoughts: 

In this book which I know many of you have read but some may not so I thought I'd offer my thoughts on it,  So in this book we meet Eve Dallas whose a New York cop and the year is 2058.  Eve has been sidelined for testing over a previous case to see if she is up to her job, that gets all sidetracked when someone is found dead and Eve is called in.  

Eve is a unique character having gotten her name due to where she was found and not her birth name.  She has little information about her history, just a buried past that she wants to forget exists.  When investigating the death of senator's granddaughter she meets up with Roarke who feels drawn to Eve and no clue why.  

This book had Eve all over the place trying to figure whose killing working girls and why?  Add a yummy man to the mix and you've entered the world of Eve Dallas, which reminds me I really out to return to much going on to keep a girl down!

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Review: The Sugarhouse Blues by: Mariah Stewart

Title: The Sugarhouse Blues
Author: Mariah Stewart
Publisher: Gallery Books
Series: A Hudson Sisters #2
Pages: 373
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library & NetGalley

Description:

Mariah Stewart's second novel in the Hudson Sisters series...

Allie, Des, and Cara, each having her own reasons for wanting a share of their father's estate, meet in the grand Victorian home in which he grew up, only to be greeted by another secret he purposely hid from them: his sister Bonnie. The women reluctantly band together to take on Fritz's challenge, working with a local contractor to begin the renovations financed by an account Fritz had set up for the task. While the restoration appears to go smoothly at first, it soon becomes apparent that the work will be more extensive than originally thought, and Des, elected to handle the money, needs to find ways to stretch out the remaining savings while searching for new sources of funding.

As strangers linked only by their DNA try to become a family, the Hudson sisters also try to come to terms with the father they only thought they knew. In the process, each woman discovers her own capacity for understanding, forgiveness, love, and the true meaning of family.

My Thoughts:

This book follows the Hudson sisters who are working on fixing up the theater which has been in her families for years.  When a storm comes through and damages the roof of the theater it's up to the girls to figure out solutions to the latest issue in the Hudson family.

Des the famous child star who wanted nothing to do with stardom and was shoved into her own show Des does it all.  Well Des had to deal with an alcoholic mother, and a sister who resented her lime light.  Des finally ends up confronting her sister with some shocking truths and bonds are fixed.  Now hopefully they can fix the theater before they are completely broke!

I love this book series the characters are real and deal with real problems that anyone can deal with.  In this one Allie's drinking is becoming an issue as is the damaged sisterly relationship.  With Allie and Des mend their fences is anyone's guess.  Then there are conflicting en in Des's life will she pick on and will it be the right one?  With Des finally do it all?  

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Review: Mrs. Morris and The Ghost by: Traci Wilton

Title: Mrs. Morris and The Ghost
Author: Traci Wilton
Publisher: Kensington
Series: Salem B&B Mystery #1
Pages: 298
Format: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley

Description:

Charlene Morris knew Salem, Massachusetts had a spooky reputation. But when she decided to open her B&B there, she expected guests--not ghosts...

A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start--so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore--and explains that he used to live here--when he was alive. 

He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won't be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting house guest out of the way, she'll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her . . .

My Thoughts:

This book follows Charlene whose trying to move after the death of her husband and open the b & b he wanted to open with her.  What she didn't count on in the small Salem town is having a ghost at her b&b. 

Jack Strathmore is a ghost trapped in his house he bought with his wife he hadn't counted on Charlene or the fact that anyone could see him.  He is desperate to find out what happened and who was responsible in the situation.  Could Charlene help him to the other side?  And more importantly would she?

When Jack's wife winds up dead the pressure is on to get to the answer of course some people in town wonder why Charlene is obsessed with an old death?  Is Charlene really her to run a b&b or is she here to stir up old wounds?

I read this as part of a book club and loved it.  The story flowed smoothly and brought you in and had you wanting more.  Learning more about Jack and what happened whose to blame.   At the end I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't have predicted the outcome.  Definitely an author I will check out every time there is a new book!

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Review: The Inn by: James Patterson & Candice Fox

Title: The Inn
Author: James Patterson & Candice Fox
Publisher: Little Brown & Co
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:

James Patterson's strongest team since the Women's Murder Club are the first responders when their seafront town is targeted by vicious criminals.

The Inn at Gloucester stands alone on the rocky shoreline. Its seclusion suits former Boston police detective Bill Robinson, novice owner and innkeeper. As long as the dozen residents pay their rent, Robinson doesn't ask any questions. Neither does Sheriff Clayton Spears, who lives on the second floor.

Then Mitchell Cline arrives, with a deadly new way of doing business. His crew of local killers break laws, deal drugs, and bring violence to the front door of the Inn. That's when Robinson realizes, with the help of journalist Susan Solie, that leaving the city is no escape from the reality of evil -- or the responsibility for action.

Teaming up with Sheriff Spears and two fearless residents -- Army veteran Nick Jones and groundskeeper Effie Johnson -- Robinson begins a risky defense. The solitary inhabitants of the Inn will have to learn, before time runs out, that their only choice is between standing together -- or dying alone.

My Thoughts:

Bill Robinson once a honorable cop is now a former detective and is running an inn in Gloucester with his wife.  When she winds up dead after a car accident Bill tries to continue what they started but drugs seem to be running rampant.  Bill has a curious mixture of residents at the Inn from a Sherriff Spears to Army Vet Nick Jones  they all offer up something and willing to help get to the bottom of what is going on in town.  They will handle this together or die trying.

This book was such fun to read and really smooth sailing.  It pulled you in and you found yourself generally caring about the people at the inn and what they were going through..  While not typical James Patterson characters they still brought something to the situation and pulled together like a family would.  

I can only hope someday Mr. Patterson will go back to the inn and let us see what they are up to!  I think others will enjoy this book for the thriller it is.

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Review: The Nightingale by: Kristin Hannah

Title: The NIghtingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 440
Format: Hardcover
Source: NetGalley & Library

Description:

In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

France, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

My Thoughts: 

Vianne and Isabelle have both had different lives which become shockingly difficult with the war in 1939 Vianne has to say goodbye to her husband whose called to war.  Isabelle is sent home from another boarding school she has gotten in trouble with and begs her father to let her stay.  He ends up sending her to her sister as the war progresses.

You get in this book a realness of the war and what people went through, what the underground did to help people and what they go through when they are caught.  This book was so captivating it has taken me a while to digest what these two girls went through how they both handled the war differently.  In the end you end up with a strong appreciation of what these french women went through and how they managed with what they were handed.

Definitely a great book for French fans during that time frame you felt like you were going around with the girls and seeing what they saw and how they dealt with things.

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Review: Mr. Churchill's Secretary by; Susan Elia MacNeal

Title: Mr. Churchill's Secretary
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Publisher: Bantam
Series: Maggie Hope Mystery #1
Pages: 328
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Description:

For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary captures the drama of an era of unprecedented challenge—and the greatness that rose to meet it.

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.

Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family’s hidden secrets, she’ll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin’s murderous plan and Churchill himself.

In this daring debut, Susan Elia MacNeal blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character,  Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel. 

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Maggie Hope whose living in London and looking for a job unfortunately most girls are reduced to minimal work and Maggie is smarter than most of the men around her.  She ends up working for Mr. Churchill and helps decode messages whether they want her help or not.  Someone is out killing girls and people are trying to figure out whose doing the killing and why?

I loved reading about Maggie Hope and what she goes through and how she doesn't let her sex determined what she will do in life.  She fights for what she is passionate about.  Definitely a great period piece, you get a feel for the war and what London was going through in that time period and how the United States was not involved at all with it.  Other than supplying things to London.

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Review: Clambake Murder by: Summer Prescott

Title: Clambake Murder
Author: Summer Prescott
Publisher: Maven Publishing Co.
Series: Rocky Cove Culinary Cozy #2
Pages: 137
Format: e-book
Source: Kindle

Description:

*This is book 2 in the Rocky Cove Culinary Cozy Series*

Clambake Caterer Becca Rogers is back from her Caribbean vacation ready to plunge headlong into the busy season. With back to back weddings and more beachfront clambakes than she can handle, Becca has no idea of the heart-pounding thrills and chills she’s about to experience, and how grateful she’ll be to be rescued by her hero-in-residence, the handsome and shy Detective Lance Reynolds.

My Thoughts: 

Becca is back from her vacation and ready to get to work for the upcoming season.  What she didn't count on was vandalism in the neighborhood.  Someone is determined to drive Becca and her neighbors from staying in their homes.  Add murder to the mix and Becca really wonders what is going on and when will it end?

I loved how Becca kept trudging through the bad trying to find ways to solve issues going on at work and at home.  I also appreciated how Becca won't settle.  Definitely a great cozy mystery that can be enjoyed quickly and wanting you looking for more!

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Review: New England Clam Murder by: Summer Prescott

Title: New England Clam Murder
Author: Summer Prescott
Publisher: Maven Publishing Co.
Series: Rocky Cove Culinary Cozy #1
Pages: 137
Format: e-book
Source: Kindle

Description:

*This is book 1 in the Rocky Cove Culinary Cozy Series*

New England Clam Murder is a fast-paced romp through the dignified halls of the New England's society set.

Divorced caterer Becca Rogers feels more than a little bit out of her league when she roams the ballrooms of the rich and shameless, serving the finest seafood in the region. Finding herself smack dab in the middle of a very mysterious set of circumstances when her ex-husband’s new socialite wife is murdered, Becca’s normal existence gets turned upside down as she learns that nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. Filled with twists, turns and a lively cast of characters, this Cozy Mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

My Thoughts: 

Becca Rogers is working with her catering business at fancy parties for the rich and famous when she ends up bumping into her ex-husband Simon's new wife Lacey.  After an angry confrontation with Lacey, Becca goes home unable to accept how she let the woman get to her.  Of course the next day Becca learns that Lacey is dead.  Who killed Lacey and why?

Someone seems to be pointing the guilty finger at Becca no matter what she does.  If she can't figure it out will she be the one in the orange jumpsuit?

I enjoyed this cute little novella and hope to read more from Ms. Prescott.  She has a definite style with her story telling.  Can't wait to see what is next for Becca and her friends.

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Review: Toucan Keep A Secret by: Donna Andrews

Title: Toucan Keep A Secret
Author: Donna Andrews
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Series: Meg Langslow #23
Pages: 294
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Description:

A new side-splitting Meg Langslow mystery from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Gull.

Meg Langslow is at Trinity Episcopal locking up after an event and checking on the toucan Meg's friend Rev. Robyn Smith is fostering in her office. After hearing a hammering in the columbarium (the small building where cremated remains are held), Meg finds an elderly parishioner lying dead on the floor of the crypt. Several niches have been chiseled open; several urns knocked out; and amid the spilled ashes is a gold ring with a huge red stone.

The curmudgeonly victim had become disgruntled with the church and ranted all over town about taking back his wife's ashes. Did someone who had it in for him follow him to the columbarium? Or was the motive grave robbery? Or did he see someone breaking in and investigate? Why was the ruby left behind?

While the Chief Burke investigates the murder, Robyn recruits Meg to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed. During this task, Meg learns many secrets about Caerphilly's history--and finds that the toucan may play a role in unmasking the killer. Clues and events indicate that a thief broke into the church to steal the toucan the night of the murder, so Meg decides to set a trap for the would-be toucan thief--who might also be the killer.

Toucan Keep a Secret is the twenty-third book in New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews' hilarious Mag Langslow mystery series. 

My Thoughts: 

Meg is watching over the church while the pregnant pastor Robyn suffers at home on bedrest.  When Meg discovers someone is the columbarium when she investigates she finds a dead body.  Robyn asks Meg to make the arrangements for the disturbed crypts to be reburied.  The victim being investigated for his death leads to a long ago burglary.  As Meg investigates the heat seems to be on her by people wanting her out of the way!  Will she figure it out or get herself knocked out!

I love Meg and her family and friends.  We also get to follow Meg as she investigates the crypts that were disturbed which coincide with the robbery! It was a mystery inside a mystery one of the greatest ones there are!  Can't wait to see what is next for Meg and her family and friends!

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Review: Killer in The Kitchen by: Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain

Title: Killer in the Kitchen
Author: Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: Murder She Wrote #43
Pages: 266
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:

In the latest in the "USA Today" bestselling series, someone writes a recipe for murder.

Jessica loves the Leg & Claw restaurant, owned by young couple Brad and Marcie. And the restaurant is the couple s dream come true. But when famed chef Gerard Pepe Lebeouf decides to open an eatery right next to theirs, tensions rise fast and hot and lead to a nasty confrontation between Lebeouf and Brad. So when Lebeouf is found dead with a knife planted in his chest, Brad becomes suspect number one. But plenty of others had a motive to kill Pepe, and it s up to Jessica to uncover who really added murder to the menu."

My Thoughts:

Jessica is invited to Brad & Marcie's grand opening of their restaurant and while there with Seth witnesses an altercation between Brad and Gerard Lebeouf whose in the process of opening his own restaurant and dismissing anyone else who runs a restaurant.

When Gerard ends up dead Brad ends up in the hot seat as the town knows about the altercation and Brad's whereabouts for that night are sketchy at best!  Jessica feels determined to find out what happened and who killed Gerard in hopes of freeing Brad from the noose!

I love this series such fun like being back in Cabot Cove it feels like your reading the show that brought many into their living rooms when it aired.  You get the pleasure of Seth and Mort in all their glory.  And of course Jessica at her finest solving another crime!  Can't wait to see what is next in this series!

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Review: Harvest of Secrets by: Ellen Crosby

Title: Harvest of Secrets
Author: Ellen Crosby
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Series: Wine Country Mysteries #9
Pages: 352
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Description:

The search for the killer of an aristocratic French winemaker who was Lucie Montgomery's first crush and the discovery of dark family secrets put Lucie on a collision course with a murderer.

It's harvest season at Montgomery Estate Vineyard--the busiest time of year for winemakers in Atoka, Virginia. A skull is unearthed near Lucie Montgomery's family cemetery, and the discovery of the bones coincides with the arrival of handsome, wealthy aristocrat Jean-Claude de Marignac. He's come to be the head winemaker at neighboring La Vigne Cellars, but he's no stranger to Lucie--he was her first crush twenty years ago when she spent a summer in France.

Not long after his arrival, Jean-Claude is found dead, and while there is no shortage of suspects who are angry or jealous of his ego and overbearing ways, suspicion falls on Miguel Otero, an immigrant worker at La Vigne, who recently quarreled with Jean-Claude. When Miguel disappears, Lucie receives an ultimatum from her own employees: prove Miguel's innocence or none of the immigrant community will work for her during the harvest. As Lucie hunts for Jean-Claude's killer and continues to search for the identity of the skeleton abandoned in the cemetery, she is blindsided by a decades-old secret that shatters everything she thought she knew about her family. Now facing a wrenching emotional choice, Lucie must decide whether it's finally time to tell the truth and hurt those she loves the most, or keep silent and let past secrets remain dead and buried.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Lucie Montgomery and her friends and family as they are getting ready for storm approaching when an old crush of Lucie's comes back into town working at another vineyard.  Jean-Claude approaches Lucie about someone out to kill him.  Lucie dismisses the drama as she has more to deal with the impending storm than the drama of Jean-Claude.  When he ends up dead and the heat is on Lucie's cousin she knows she has to get to the bottom of it.  Add that murder to a skeleton showing up on Lucie's property and a family secret come to light.  With so much going on will Lucie figure it out or will she wind up the next victim?

I love this series.  The writing pulls you in and won't let you go wondering how Lucie will piece it all together in time or won't she?  I especially like when a crime from the past is involved to because you are more determined to piece it all together and learn more about the Montgomery's. Can't wait to see what is next for Lucie and her friends and family!

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