Murder She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial

Murder She Wrote #63

By Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early

ISBN: 9780593952900

barbaraearly.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

Jessica Fletcher and friends Seth Hazlitt and Maureen and Mort Metzger team up for pub trivia and crush the competition, then are stunned to learn that the prize is a chance to appear in a five-day trivia tournament filming in LA.

No one expects life-or-death stakes! But on day one of the tournament, a crew member is murdered. Who would benefit from derailing the show? Jessica has to come up with the ultimate answer.

In a metafictional twist, the investigation takes Jessica and the gang to the filming locations of their favorite mystery shows, where they discuss how Columbo, Monk, or Jim Rockford might go about solving the case.

Review:

This new addition to the series is wrapped up in a most unusual setting: television game show and technology allowing the at-home audience to play the same game from the comforts of home. The person playing from home submits their responses via an app.

Jessica, her friend, Dr. Seth Hazlitt, and their friends, Sheriff Mort and Maureen Metzger, attended the grand opening of Riley’s Pub. It is advertised as a genuine Irish pub in Cabot Cove, Maine. The owners are Dan, the editor of the local newspaper, Pierce, the fire chief, and his wife, Riley, from Ireland. The food was delicious, the company delightful, and they played pub trivia with several other teams. Jessica, Maureen, Seth, and Mort won a special surprise.

The surprise included their team playing on a new television show that would soon begin. It sounded like great fun, until realizing they had to pay their own expenses, including airfare to LA, meals, and accommodations. Mort and Maureen wanted to go so much that they would forego their special anniversary trip, so Jessica and Seth joined them as a foursome. They practiced in their spare time. Each of the four were expert in different categories, so each person was valuable to the group.

Owners of a retired actress’s mansion in LA, Jessica’s niece Victoria, and her husband, Howard, invited the four to stay there. They were renovating the mansion into a B & B, and said it would be great practice for them. Howard was planning themes for limo tours to popular locations that he shared with them. I enjoyed hearing about some of the landmark diners and restaurants and who had frequented them in the past. One popular eatery was setting for a favorite Monk episode.

Each day, the teams heard the questions, then discussed their answers. Conflicts in their discussion groups resulted in higher ratings, as those conflicts appealed to viewers. One team had twin red-headed brothers who argued with each other to the point Seth feared one or both would have a stroke or heart attack! The home viewers entered their answers in an app and locked them in.

One of the studio crew members, Ray, died. Literally. Dead. At his console. The only positive result was that LAPD’s Lieutenant Caceras and Jessica had met some years ago on a case, and remembered how well they worked with each other.

The following day brought a more somber group of contestants. One team was eliminated each of the first three days, and the remaining three teams would add their scores from days four and five to determine the winner. A death threat had been made against the announcer, and he wanted to break his contract. One of the twin red-heads actually passed out during a discussion period! At Jessica’s suggestion, the police tested the strong-tasting coffee, based on the behaviors of those who had coffee and were the most irritable and nervous. Including Maureen. She didn’t get into a fight, but was more than edgy.

Ray, the crew member who died, had been poisoned. A medication had been mixed in the coffee set out for the crew and contestants. It could lead to edginess, rage, discomfort, and for a person with certain health challenges, even death.

I enjoyed learning more about the regular characters, the competing teams, and Danielle, a former actor and former owner of the mansion. I’ve not seen the side of Jessica before where she mentally listed the differences between Riley’s Pub and a “genuine” Irish pub. This was one of several scenes in which we see that even the most gracious authors are just like the average reader. Many protagonists, including Jessica, rarely discussed expenses (except Seth!). It was refreshing to see our fictional heroes have concerns about travel costs that most readers in a similar situation would have to consider. I also appreciated learning about one of the most vulnerable situations in Jessica’s life, and how she has responded over the years. I enjoyed the discussions about the television detectives and how they worked, especially my favorite one. It was also refreshing to see the ladies barefoot in the sand at the beach, still attired for the show.

Jessica’s team worked together to win, to find who killed Ray and why, and why the coffee pots were drugged. They and the police had several possible motives, some that would never have occurred to me! They also tried to get to the bottom of the sounds of ghosts in the mansion that Victoria and Howard purchased from Danielle, over 100 years old, who has a private suite there for the rest of her life. 

Every situation was resolved, and the ending was very satisfactory. Some of the motives were more complex than I could have solved – hooray for the team from Cabot Cove!  I am already looking forward to the next mystery, and highly recommend this one and the rest of the series!

Lights Out

Into Darkness, Book #1

By Navessa Allen

ISBN# 9781638932239

Author’s Website: navessaallen.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

Aly Cappellucci is an overworked trauma nurse.  She sees the worst humanity has to offer.  She spends most of her time working or sleeping.  However, she has found a new guilty pleasure in her spare time.  Watching thirst traps of masked men doing wicked things.  Her favorite goes by the name the faceless man.  What she wouldn’t give to have him break into her house and have his dirty way with her.  Until it actually happens, that is.

“I didn’t want him morally grey. I wanted someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.”

Josh didn’t live a normal childhood.  His father was a serial killer and put his mom and him through hell with his moods.  Josh worries that he will become just like him.  That a dark side will come out and cause him to hurt small animals and kill women too.  And, if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s the spitting image of dear old dad.  And, due to the increased popularity of true crime shows, Josh is always worried people will recognize him.  It’s caused him to live as a recluse, shutting himself away in his apartment, hiding from the world.

Josh found a new outlet with his thirst trap videos.  It allows him to be on social media, but hidden and anonymous.  And, he starts getting all kinds of thoughts when his best friend shows him a picture that his ex-hookup sent him.  It’s a picture of Josh as the faceless man.  She wanted Tyler to come help her live out her fantasies.  He was not into it and turned her down.  Josh remembers Aly and thinks Tyler is a fool.  He starts looking at all Aly’s comments on his videos, she wants him to break into her place and have his way with her.  Who is he to deny what the lady wants?

This is your typical stalker romance book.  It technically is dark, although I’ve seen several say that it’s not.  It definitely straddles the line.  The topics are dark, but the romance itself really isn’t.  More like two people living out their kinks with each other with full consent. Aly quickly realizes that she’s in no danger from her stalker and grows to rely on him even.  He’s a presence that hangs over her and protects her.  The two tease each other quite a bit and seem more like flirting than anything else.  And, they both seem to really enjoy it.  There are a few smexy scenes to enjoy as well.

“Feisty Aly was hot. I couldn’t wait until she forgave me so I could start finding ways to piss her off again. Masochistic? Maybe. But for some reason, our bickering felt more like foreplay than an actual argument, and I was into it. I could only imagine how good the makeup sex would be.”

I actually really enjoyed Josh.  I liked the way he didn’t take things too seriously most of the time.  However, he could turn on a dime if you disrespected his girl in any way or put her in danger.  I enjoyed how he embraced the daddy roll so quickly … of the cat.  His conversations with Fred were pretty cute.  And, he was quick to want to expand the family in that way too.  However, he could role-play with the best of them.  There is no joking when he slips on that mask and the faceless man takes over.  I think his silliness is why most people don’t see this as a dark romance though.

“You’re deranged. You know that?” I shrugged. Deranged. Protective. Same thing.”

My only real issue with this book, is that I felt it ran long in places.  It seemed like there was a lot of unnecessary filler in it.  Like all the day-to-day interactions in the beginning, really could have been cut down.  I honestly just wanted the author to get to the point already.  The book was a slow read for me as much as it dragged on. Then, when Josh saved the day and there were still like ten chapters left, I was like what else is there possibly to say?  In the end, I am honestly surprised I liked it as much as I did.  It must have been the spicy scenes at the end that tipped me over the edge. 

I’m undecided if I’ll continue the series, because that drag was real.  But who knows… maybe I’ll eventually make it back here.  I can only hope that the author figures out how to edit it down a bit more in the future to improve the pacing.

Possession

Fallen Angels, Book #5

By J.R. Ward

ISBN# 9780451240194

Author’s Website: jrward.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

Cait Douglas is still feeling the effects of a broken heart.  The man she thought she was going to marry felt an instant attraction to another woman and ended his relationship with Cait.  He has since married the other woman and they are about to welcome a child into the world. 

Cait is endeavoring to improve herself this year.  And her new hair is just another step in that process.  And, everyone seems to take immediate notice of her new blonde locks.

She meets up with her best friend to listen to a singer Teresa is obsessed with.  And, he notices Cait and starts coming on to her.  She gives G.B. her phone number thinking it may be time to hit the dating pool once again.  And, as she’s leaving, she runs into another man that instantly draws her attention, Duke.

Duke is mysterious and feels dangerous, but she can’t resist the animal magnetism and lust she feels with him.  She finds herself doing things with him that she wouldn’t normally do.  The two can’t seem to keep their hands or other body parts off each other.

“Yup, that had actually happened. On the floor. Behind an unlocked door at his place of employment.

                                      Shit. Maybe she couldn’t handle being a blond, after all.”

Cait is drawn to both Duke and G.B. and must decide which man is the right guy for her.  The sweet-talking singer trying to get his break in the business.  Or the dark brooding hottie that lights her body on fire, but has his own secrets he keeps close to the vest.  Who can she trust with her already battered heart?

Meanwhile, the savior, Jim, finds himself distracted after making a deal with the devil, so to speak.  He finally has Sissy under his protection.  However, he finds himself focusing on her instead of the soul he needs to save.

My J.R. Ward journey started with the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  I started reading the Fallen Angels series after catching up on the brothers.  I’ve found the Fallen Angels to be something completely different from the BDB.  However, this book seemed much more like the BDB than the previous installments of the series.  Maybe it’s all the different points of view, maybe it’s the undeniable lust between Cait and Duke.  I was even wondering if he was a vampire for the majority of the book.  He does work for Xhex, after all, even though it only referred to her as Alex, but John Matthew was her man, so…. One can only assume.  Anyway, I found this one to be much easier to read and stay interested in.  I enjoyed figuring out what was going on with Duke and G.B. and relishing the love triangle, as a whole.  So, this book that seemed the closest to the BDB is the one I’ve liked the best so far in this series, go figure.  So much for me enjoying something a little different.

I really enjoyed Duke.  It seems Ward was trying to write him as the bad boy, but I always got the sense he was actually the good guy between him and his brother.  And, then G.B. started showing the reader his true colors.

I thought Cait giving in to her attraction to Duke so quickly was a bit unrealistic though.  It seemed way out of character for such an orderly person who has already dealt with such heartbreak.  And, Duke truly acted like a bonded vampire, wanting only to protect his woman.

“I don’t do one-night stands,” she blurted.
“Who says one will be enough.”

Jim was a total snooze-fest in this book.  He really brought nothing but incompetence to the story.  He also didn’t seem all that upset at his failures either.  It would totally serve him right if Adrian ends up with the girl. 

The angels really took a backseat in this story.  It was all about Cait and her choices between Duke and G.B.  And, honestly, I was here for it.  It is a shame we won’t get to see them anymore as I truly enjoyed Duke and will miss him.

I’m curious to see what happens in the next story, and if Jim can get his head out of his derriere.  If he can’t, maybe it *is* time for him to retire up with the dandies in Heaven.

The Cuckoo’s Calling

Cormoran Strike, Book #1

By Robert Galbraith

ISBN# 9780316206846

Author’s Website:  https://robert-galbraith.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Cormoran Strike is the illegitimate son of a rock star.  A rock star that has never had anything to do with him.  His mom was a supergroupie that lived her life hard and fast.  Strike got away from it all when he enlisted in the army, but it’s where he lost his leg.  Now, he’s barely scraping by as a private investigator.  And, to add insult to injury he just ended things with his long-time girlfriend.  Now he has no choice, but to live in his office.

After letting his last temporary secretary he couldn’t afford go, Temporary Solutions was quick to send another, Robin.  Helping investigate is a secret dream job of Robin’s.  However, Strike needs to figure out how to end this agreement with the temp agency.  In the meantime, he’s willing to allow Robin to work for him the week they sent her for.  He quickly realizes that she’s the best secretary he’s ever had and hates to have to lose her.

Strike is barely scrapping by and only has one client to his name when a big case falls in his lap.  Supermodel Lula Landry met her tragic end several months ago.  It was ruled a suicide as she ‘fell’ from her balcony to the street below.  However, her adopted brother, John Bristow, is determined that she was murdered and is willing to pay Strike double the normal fee for him to investigate and hopefully prove it.

Now Strike is hunting down any info he can from anybody that had anything to do with Landry.  Most of which, have no desire to talk.  And, he quickly realizes that her brother is only cooperative when the investigation is heading in the direction he wants.  Looking at the people he considers to be the guilty parties.

Can Strike look past all the glitz and glamour to find himself a killer?  Or did Lula truly decide it was all too much and ended her own life?

Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Honestly, I really expected more from this book.  The concept of the story was fine; however, it lacked a lot in the execution.  There was way too much of the day-to-day happenings for Strike and Robin without anything interesting ever really happening.  This made the book incredibly boring and at over 450 pages it was just long and felt never-ending.

Then, when we find out what happened, it made no sense.  I can’t say too much without giving it away.  Like what happened made sense, but the hiring of Strike didn’t.  

This book just fills me with relief that it’s finally over.

Invision

Chronicles of Nick #7

By Sherrilyn Kenyon

ISBN# 9781250063885

Author’s Website:  https://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Nick is just trying to live a normal teenage life.  

However, he is being plagued with visions ever since he retrieved the Eye of Ananke.  He isn’t sure what’s real or not any more and is worried he’s going crazy!  And, he has lost his Malachai powers.

Then he finds out that Zavid isn’t truly dead, and is in Noir’s clutches.  And, then other powerful beings around him start going missing …. Aeron and his Aunt Mennie.  As they try to figure out their next move, Caleb gets injured in battle.  They have to call on the last person the Daeve wants them to in order to save his life, his father, Jaden.

They anticipate having to bargain with Jaden to get his help, but are surprised when he gives his help willingly.  And, he even goes as far as going to the nether realms to try to save Zavid and Aeron!  But it may cost Jaden his own freedom.

Can Nick get his friends back and figure out what is real and what isn’t?  Can he save the world from experiencing what he’s seen in his visions?

Unfortunately, I didn’t really care for this book.  I found the visions made it hard to follow, at times.  And, the book was rather dull and boring overall. I also found Nick rather annoying in this one, he took a step back, not quite as bad as he was in the beginning of the series, but still bad.We picked up some more misfits along the way in the form of Kaziel, a Cwn Annwn, and Vawn, a cyhyraeth.  But otherwise, I don’t think this book added much to the series.  I can only hope the next installment will be better than this snoozefest.

Title: The Diva Hosts a Murderer

Series: A Domestic Diva Mystery

By:  Krista Davis

ISBN: 9781496743503 (ISBN10: 1496743504)

Website: http://www.kristadavis.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis.

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s long-time, now-heartbroken, secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

The Diva Hosts a Murderer is book #19 in the “A Domestic Diva Mystery” series by Krista Davis. I have previously read book #11 in this series and happy to report that skipping to book #19 was not a big problem. However, I will be putting on my reading bucket list the list of books in this series that I have not read so as to go back and read the series from the beginning to experience the evolution of Sophie. 

In this installment of the “A Domestic Diva Mystery” series we have Sophie Winston busy preparing to entertain many house guests (her mom, dad Paul, sister Hannah, friend Roscoe, aunt Melly to name a few) for a July Fourth celebration, some of whom she did not know well…in fact, a stranger. Melly, a widower of two years and Sophie’s aunt, brought with her a man that no one knew. In fact, Gus Ellerbe was Melly’s new husband! To fill the time, Sophie had rented a tour bus to take the family out each day on local tours. The tour guide and driver, Tony Fontana, was a fountain of information – so the tours were filled with lots of facts. 

Sophie’s neighbour, Dollie Peabody, comes over one morning insisting that there is a body at her home. When Sophie investigates, she does not find a body. Very curious. Due to many interactions (false reports) that Dollie has had with the local police, they do not take this situation seriously. Bummer because not too long after, the tour guide Tony is discovered dead behind Dollie’s home, and the woman states she’s never seen the man before. 

This sets Sophie up to investigate (discretely of course as the police do not want her to investigate) and figure out what really happened. Especially since her dad’s DNA is found on Tony’s body and he is the prime suspect! True to form with cozy mysteries, there are many red herrings, which Sophie must get past on her path to the real killer.

I found the cast of characters at the beginning of the book quite helpful in keeping track of all the various characters in this book, of which there are a tad more than I like! The story was well written and the plot was unique (at least to me). This story seemed to have a lot going on – but that is what kept my interest – I did not get bored trying to figure out the myriad of clues.

A big pet peeve of mine – spelling and consistency. With respect to the “Dollie” character, in chapter 29 they switched the spelling to “Dolly” whereas throughout the entirety of the story it was “Dollie”. So further clarification would be good to determine if Dollie’s name can be spelled either way. 

Krista Davis does not disappoint…so if you like cozy mysteries with engaging characters and a ‘whodunit’ that may well keep you guessing until the end (like it did for me) …then I suggest picking up a copy of The Diva Hosts a Murderer, get in your comfy chair and get reading.  

Title: Mary, Mary

By:  Lesley Crewe

ISBN: 9781771084536 (ISBN10: 1771084537)

ASIN: 1771084537

Website: http://www.lesleycrewe.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

In a Cape Breton family of black sheep, Mary is pure as the driven snow. She is patient and kind with her alcoholic grandmother and volatile mother, loyal and attentive to her spoiled cousin, and pleasant and polite all day as a grocery cashier. Her well off aunt, the only other normal person in the family, wants to help her more, but Mary’s mother is too prickly and proud. So Mary goes to work, comes home, takes care of her family, and wonders if there’ll ever be more to life. 

When a young couple moves into the apartment upstairs, it sparks a series of changes that leads to major family revelations, and Mary discovers that sometimes doing the wrong thing is the exact right thing to do. (Goodreads)

Review:

Mary, Mary was chosen as a read for our book club for 2026. I had previously read one book by Lesley Crewe (The Spoon Stealers) and quite enjoyed her writing style and storytelling capabilities. It is with hope that I would find Mary, Mary enjoyable as well.

Mary, Mary is a story about a very dysfunctional family that is just trying to get by. Mary lives with her mother Carole and her alcoholic grandmother, Ethel and does her best to keep peace between them. Mary works as a cashier in a grocery story while her mother runs a hairdressing salon out of their home.

I could tell that this dysfunctional family really was trying and that it was a surprise that Mary turned out so “normal” given her upbringing. Mary’s evolution was enjoyable to experience. 

The family lives in a duplex with an upstairs apartment they rent to tenants and when a young man and his girlfriend move in, things definitely begin to change. First and foremost – there was an immediate attraction between Mary and Daniel (the young man). Soon the girlfriend moves out and the potential relationship between Mary and Daniel blossoms into a real relationship. Mary (and her pet cat) eventually move upstairs.

At one point – Carole decides that since her daughter has moved out, she will get a pet. And boy does she – 3 rescue dogs. Loved that she chose to take in these dogs in need of a loving home. And surprisingly, this endeavour lead to some interesting personal growth for Carole.

There is a great bit one could write about with respect to the other family members, but I leave that for any future reader to discover for themselves

I enjoyed Ms. Crewe’s ability to interject a number of ‘Laugh Out Loud’ moments throughout the book. She made the characters real with all their foibles and all. I also get a wee bit weepy in parts – it was just that emotional of a journey!At the crux of it all, the story is just a tale of a family and how they survive the ups and downs of daily living interjected with the realities of that life, love and death. Mary, Mary was an easy to read book with engaging characters (including all of the pets!), a telling of a life’s journey (or at least a segment) of Mary’s life.

City of Glass

The Mortal Instruments, Book #3

By Cassandra Clare

ISBN# The Mortal Instruments #3

Author’s Website: cassandraclare.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

So much of Clary’s life has changed over the last few weeks.  She fell in love with a boy only to discover he’s actually her brother.  Jace and her are both still fighting their attraction to one another. 

“You’re my sister,” he said finally. “My sister, my blood, my family. I should want to protect you”—he laughed soundlessly without any humor—”to protect you from the sort of boys who want to do with you exactly what I want to do.”

Clary’s breath caught. “You said you just wanted to be my brother from now on.”

“I lied,” he said. “Demons lie, Clary.”

She found out that instead of being a dead hero, her dad is a villain who is alive and well.  Oh, and he now has possession of two of the mortal instruments.   Who knows what evil he has planned.  And, her best friend has turned into a vampire.

What hasn’t changed is that her mom is still in a coma.  Ragnor Fell created the potion she took to put her in the coma.  And, Clary now needs to travel to Idris, the city of glass, to find him to get the antidote.

Jace is fully against Clary going to Idris.  He’s worried it isn’t safe there for her.  Especially if the Clave discovers she can create runes.  And, he’s willing to lie to her and his entire family to keep her from going with them.  However, when Jace and the Lightwoods are getting ready to portal there, they are attacked by Forsaken and Jace takes Simon through the portal to keep him from getting killed.  Now an unwanted Downworlder must face the ire of the Clave and hope he can survive it.

Meanwhile, Clary shows up minutes too late and has to find her own way to Idris, whether Jace approves or not.  Can she save her mom before it’s too late?

I found that I rather enjoyed this book.  It’s not without its flaws, but overall, it was a decent read.

I know that these characters are teenagers who can be a bit bratty, at times.  And, Clary definitely had her moments in this one.  She did seem to throw a tantrum whenever she didn’t get her way and just do what she wanted anyway.  I’m actually glad to see that both Luke and Jace called her out on it.  Although Jace wasn’t actually being that mature, at the time, either.  Teen angst, definitely one of the downsides of books like these.

There were a lot of things that happened in this book.  I would say it was quite the rollercoaster, except I predicted most of it.  It didn’t stop me from enjoying the ride, though.

We do discover a lot about Jace and Clary’s past and get a resolution on Valentine as well.  We get more of the angel element in this book, too, which was interesting.

“You and Jace – you’re not quite normal, are you? I mean, not normal Shadowhunters. There’s something special about you both. Like the Seelie Queen said. You were experiments.” He smiled at her startled look. “I’m not stupid. I can put these things together. You with your rune powers, and Jace, well…no one could be that annoying without some kind of supernatural assistance.”

And, Clary hasn’t really matured yet, but it’s good to see that Simon appears to be.  And thank goodness they aren’t trying to force a relationship anymore!  It made no sense to try when she was obviously still hung up on Jace.  I’m glad to see that both Clary and Simon seem to be moving on from each other as I never really liked them together.

I really enjoyed this book and it seemed like everything was tied up nicely.  There seemed to be a lot of good lessons woven into this one.  Be yourself, love makes you stronger, working together with people who are different can help solve your problems.  I’ll be curious to see what happens next.  Their world can’t stay perfect forever, after all.

The Barn Identity

House-Flipper Mystery #8

By Diane Kelly

ISBN 9781250359346

Author’s website: dianekelly.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

In Nashville, carpenter Whitney Whitaker is ecstatic when she discovers an abandoned barn perfect for her next project. However, since the surrounding former farmland has now developed into a shiny new shopping center, it seems the decrepit antebellum barn that once served as a livery stable should be torn down to make way for something more modern. Even so, Whitney can’t help but think the barn should be preserved. While unproven, it’s rumored the building once served as a hiding place for escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. She convinces her cousin to take a chance on the old property. After all, the barn would make a unique retail space or, with its high ceilings and wide walls, could be turned into an arthouse cinema.

When a local print journalist reporting on the renovation is found dead on the property, investigators suspect he might have been murdered for any one of several exposés he’d published about local politicians, movers, and shakers. Whitney suspects there’s more to the story, and that the journalist’s fate might be tied directly to the stable renovation. Can she solve the murder and bring a killer to justice? Or might this goal be too lofty? (From Goodreads)

Review:

This is an excellent addition to a series I always enjoy! Whitney and Buck, cousins trained as carpenters by Buck’s father, are so much fun to watch and learn from! They began a business in which they purchase, renovate, and sell homes. In a short time, they began to bid on properties they could give a whole new life to: other, older structures, such as the out-of-use fire station converted into a fine, luxurious home. They only work on properties they purchased.

Whitney and her husband, Collin, still newlyweds, were thrilled to learn she was pregnant! Whitney was adapting to the physical changes, and knew her work for the next several months would be reduced as the baby grew.

Whitney is an excellent protagonist, and she feels like an old friend. Each character is portrayed well through their behaviors and conversations. I thought the sisters at the nearby farm-to-table restaurant were great, and enjoyed their enthusiasm for their restaurant, their farm, and their special soapbox speeches.

Gail is the current owner of a historic property passed down through her family. She had contacted Whitney based on a special recommendation. Gail wanted to preserve the old livery stable on her property. Almost two centuries ago, it had served people staying at a nearby hotel. Gail’s great-great-great-grandmother was born a slave on that land. Gail’s great-great-great-grandfather was born a slave on a nearby farm, and they had been sent to Canada a couple years before the Civil War began.

Whitney noted the dry-stack stone foundation of the fence and the huge barn that attested to its age. Gail told Buck and Whitney the history of the land and how she, a descendant of slaves, eventually inherited the property. Pieces of it were sold during the depression for food and survival, but it was still a substantial property.

Tyler, an independent journalist, was present when the cousins met Gail. He wanted to learn about the property and potentially write about it.

Captivated by the property and its human history, Whitney was excited to work on it, until they learned that Gail was not selling the property. Gail wanted to preserve the barn, and welcomed their ideas for an upcycle. She would go to almost any length for their input and work. Whitney and Buck discussed it, and absolutely wanted to do the project. Whitney agreed to meet with Gail again with their ideas, and Tyler would join them to see the process.

Buck and Whitney went to the nearby diner, Victory Garden, a farm to table restaurant. They were unaware that only plant-based foods were served. By the end of lunch, even the staunch carnivore, Buck, was sold on the delicious, filling foods that rivaled any red meat he had ever eaten. A fun feature of Victory Garden was the inclusion of several large television screens inside that shared live feed from some of the rescue animals on the property.

Whitney had taken measurements in the barn, and suggested they turn it into an apartment building. They discussed the possibilities, including how to tie the history of Gail’s family into much needed affordable apartments.

Whitney arrived early for her meeting with Gail and went up to the haymow for a short nap. She was awakened by loud voices outside. Tyler’s backpack crashed into the haymow, then she looked out and saw the journalist, lying still, with a pitchfork jutting out of his lower back.  She couldn’t see the vehicle that roared away and called 911. She told the responding deputy what happened, then Detective Alonzo. She saw Gail approach the property, then get sent away by the detective.

Whitney was more determined than ever to do the project. When she and Buck started to work, the killer had not been caught. Whitney had helped solve murders before, but being pregnant now changed everything. Her research was limited, but what she learned, she shared with the homicide detective.

The author plotted and executed this cozy so well! I loved seeing the history of Gail’s family!  I appreciated Whitney’s concern to keep her baby safe, even as she went to surprising places to ask questions. The local detective had once worked a case with Whitney’s husband, Collin, a homicide detective in Nashville. She valued Whitney’s discoveries, even sharing a bit of information. I was impressed when the real killer was identified through Whitney’s brainstorm. You truly don’t want to miss the ending! I highly recommend this mystery and series!

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Maggie the Undying #1

By Ilona Andrews

ISBN: 9781250377265

Author’s website: Ilona-andrews.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

*Beware Spoilers*

Summary

A page-turning, unforgettable fantasy set in a city populated with ruffians, spies, malcontents and murderers. Experience out-of-this world adventure and dangerous politics as Maggie tries to survive waking up in her favourite fictional world.

A heart-pounding epic from No. 1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren. It’s a city she knows intimately from the pages of a famously unfinished dark fantasy series – one she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading, while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic and mayhem? Her encyclopaedic knowledge of the plot, the setting and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love – a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to return home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes – and attentions – of duelling princes, dukes and villains. This all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the ending she’s seen on the a cataclysmic war.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse writing duo Ilona Andrews. For fans of Samantha Shannon, Sarah J. Maas, Danielle L. Jensen and isekai portal fantasy.

Review

“To the Book Devouring Horde and all other readers who have dreamed about getting lost in a book” 

What a twist, well twists. The first one I didn’t see come up; the age was odd, but I just brushed it off. The second one was expected after the first one was revealed.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me starts with Maggie waiting near a bridge for a black-market merchant to steal the gold he is carrying; per the story, she knew. Drenched in the cold rain that has been falling for the past few days, dressed in the rags she could steal and barefoot, Maggie managed to steal the bag of gold, but she also got stabbed multiple times, had her throat sliced, and was pushed into the river. Maggie dies.

That is the first time that Maggie dies in this book, but she wakes up hours later naked, again, clutching the bag of gold on the banks of the river she fell into. With the gold she stole, Maggie can now buy herself some safety for the night, in the only place she knows nobody will ask questions, the Garden. But on her way there, while running in the rain, she sees the entourage of Ramond vi Everard, the Sleeping Duke, and the head of one of the Eight Great families, entering the city with him leading the way. Paralyzed by what she is seeing, she becomes even more stunned when he gives her some coins and tells her to find shelter from the rain and rides off into the city. 

Maggie manages to make it to the Garden, get a bath, a meal, and a good night’s sleep. With new strength, she decides to change the story she knows of the world she is now trapped in. First, she saves the life of an innocent girl, and then she works on preventing the massacre and war that is coming to the kingdom of Kair Toren at the hands of Ulmar Hreben, the head of one of the Eight Great families.

I loved This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me; Maggie is all of us readers who have read their favorite book or series many times which they quote from memory. Different from other Isekai genre stories, we don’t know how Maggie arrived in this world, and that is fascinating and mysterious. There wasn’t a truck that came out of nowhere, and she didn’t die from old age or illness.

Like the other books by author duo Ilona Andrews, their main character Maggie finds her group of sidekicks and a family. After raiding the house of a slaver and saving the kidnapped kids, some of them, without families, decides to stay and help. Clover, a seventeen-year-old lady maid, and Kaiden, a teen who wants to help. 

Another sidekick is Reynald Karis, the Knight blade master, who is hired by Maggie as a bodyguard and is looking for his son. Like many readers, we all have our favorite characters that we wish their story could have been different, and Reynald is one of Maggie’s. Reynald is a fascinating character, smart, lethal, a strategist, and with good genes because he looks younger than his age in the books. 

“Everything except his age. He’d become a professional soldier at seventeen and served in the King’s army for twenty years, so he was at least thirty-seven. The exact line in the book said, A harsh life of battles and marches added years to his face. He looked like a man who was a decade older.”

The main course of the story revolves around Maggie and her team trying to stop one of the Eight Great families from creating a massacre and rising in power by murdering important political figures, which then will cause an invasion from the neighboring country and a plague. Maggie continues to live out our fantasy of changing the course of our favorite books. 

Given that this is a new series for Ilona Andrews and is a somewhat high fantasy setting, they had to world-build the new place we are reading. One thing that I liked is that there is magic in this world, but there are also skill marshal individuals without magic that make them deadlier. And so far Maggie’s “magic” is a stranger to everyone who learns about it.

For fans of Ilona Andrews, which I am, many can see their writing style and past ideas they had when reading this Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. The signature magic of the Eight Great families is also similar to the idea of House magic from the Hidden Legacy series. I felt I was collecting easter eggs as I read.

Given how this book ends, we are left with questions and hopes for what is to come. But we know a second book is in the works, as the series has been promoted as a duology, which is the same number of books that Maggie read, even though she was waiting for a third one for many years.
If you are a fan of Ilona Andrews, then I recommend you read This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. Meet the fan who got sent into their favorite book series and is trying to save the kingdom that continues to try to kill her instead. 

Title:           A Death in the Dark

Series:        Novel Detectives Mystery

By:              Ellie Alexander      

ISBN:          9781837003136 (ISBN10: 1837003130)

ASIN:          1837003130

Website:     https://www.elliealexander.co/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

An assistant athletics coach is found murdered at Redwood Grove High School and all evidence points one way—but the Novel Detectives are about to face their most puzzling case yet.

When beloved local teacher and track coach Josh Bynum stumbles into the Secret Bookcase distressed and with no memory of the previous night, Annie and Fletcher’s instincts tell them something doesn’t add up.

As the duo delve deeper into the tight-knit world of high school athletics, they uncover a web of secrets. Between ambitious parents, suspicious fundraising activities, and a star athlete with a lot to lose, everyone has something to hide.

Annie and Fletcher will need all their investigative skills and the support of their Redwood Grove friends if they’re to solve this mystery. Has Josh been set up? And what if there’s a clever killer somewhere in their beloved hometown, who might decide to target them next? (Goodreads)

Review:

In the second book of the Novel Detectives Mystery series, A Death in the Dark, I was captivated – so much so that I most assuredly stayed up way too late reading as I just had to finished the book! And to me – that is the sign of an excellent read. While I did start with book one of this series, I don’t feel as if it is crucial to one’s reading enjoyment of this addition to the Novel Detectives Mystery series.

The journey the reader is taken on is one filled with what you would expect from a cozy mystery but also much more. I got to experience the ups and downs of the main characters as they struggle to solve the mystery of what happened to Rob Myers – assistant coach to Josh Bynum. Or should I say – who murdered Rob? We are also led through Annie’s everyday life in Redwood Cove. All I have to say is she is one busy lady…running a detective agency as well as the local bookstore. And where does she find the time to foster her relationship with Liam Donovan (the Stag Head pub owner)?

When Josh showed up to the Novel Detectives office early one morning all disheveled (and by that I mean all bloody!) one wonders if Annie and Fletcher will take him on as a client for their fledgling detective agency. Well of course they do, otherwise what would be the point of the book. As Annie and Fletcher work through all the clues to figure out what really happened, this reader was fully immersed in the story. Without giving anything away (one hopes), I found the twists and turns are what really drew me in. This book is just not about Rob’s murder, but so much more. Red herrings abound and as one query is answered there are at least two more that pop up.

The detective agency is also continuing to work (albeit slowly) on the case brought up by Caroline in the first book in the series. It has to do with finding out if Hal (the previous owner of the bookshop) is a descendent of Agatha Christie. I like this slow burn towards solving this mystery. I anticipate it carrying over to more books in this series J. Annie and Fletcher will have to move on this carefully!

What do I like about Ms. Alexander’s storytelling? Almost everything. I find that when I read her books (this new series included) that I become part of the community and I become invested in the outcome very early on in the book. While some of the nuances of the characters were probably gleaned from one of her previous series (Secret Bookcase Mysteries series), there is and has been with this series enough backstory so that a new reader to this series is provided with the much needed character facts.

An early thought by Annie with respect to her partner Fletcher really brought out the essence of Fletcher:

“As was typical, Fletcher was dressed in a pair of slacks, a button-up shirt, and a houndstooth vest. Where he managed to acquire the vintage pieces was always a mystery to me. Yet despite his formal appearance, he was one of the most down-to-earth people I knew, able to recommend the perfect read to bookstore customers and put clients at ease.”

The descriptions throughout the book hit home and made my internal visual thoughts come to life… the following is an example of one such description:

“Sunlight danced on the polished parquet floors in the adjoining Conservatory. The grand ballroom was where we hosted large events like author talks and panels. It always reminded me of a scene from Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley with its mind green walls, ornate chandeliers, arched windows, and gold filigree accents. The marble fireplace was draped with floral and citrus garlands, including real oranges, lemons, sprigs of herbs, pink peonies, and creamy roses. More vases with matching garden bouquets were dotted on the bookcases, giving the entire room a soft spring blush.”

The myriad of characters is interesting, and not too many, in my opinion. At times, cozy mysteries can get inundated with too many characters in the storyline, but in A Death in the Dark, I found that it was not too overwhelming and I was able to keep everyone straight. But if you are like some readers, I suggest keeping a character list until you become familiar with all the characters.

I am still wondering about the title of the book – but I shall ponder on that more in the hopes that it will become evident to me… at least one can hope

If you enjoy cozy mysteries which keep you guessing throughout (though numerous times thinking you have figured it out -> yup that’s me!), then the storytelling of Ms. Alexander in A Death in the Dark might be be just what you need to read next.

This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone

The Vacation Mysteries #3

By Catherine Mack     

Author’s Website: catherinemackauthor.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas.
Eleanor Dash can never catch a break. Not only has she had to solve two real-life murder plots in the past year, but both times it was when she was meant to be on vacation. Now she’s finally got a ticket to a relaxing weekend—an all-inclusive resort at the Bahamas where she’s speaking at a conference for murder mystery writers—but she arrives to find a body on the floor of her hotel room. Because of course she does.

With plenty of familiar faces at the resort, any one of them could have been the intended target or the culprit behind it all. Was it Oliver Forrest, Eleanor’s dashing boyfriend who’s in danger of getting dropped by his publisher because his sales are dwindling? Or Connor Smith, Eleanor’s infuriating ex-lover-turned-bestselling-rom-com-author with a sordid past of his own? Or her sister Harper, whose own stilted writing career has been a sore point for years as Eleanor’s has soared? Perhaps it’s one of the other writers also in attendance, as friends, frenemies and foes from Eleanor’s past all seem to be invited to the island.

Surrounded by mystery writers who know all too well the many ways to craft the perfect crime, Eleanor is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and do whatever it takes to get out of this weekend alive. (Goodreads)

Review:

What can I say… This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone truly a good read which kept me engaged throughout – trying to figure out ‘whodunit’ as well as some wonderfully chuckle worthy moments. So what I can say is Thank you Catherine Mack (aka Catherine McKenzie) for penning such a delightful book! She is quickly becoming one of my top five Canadian cozy mystery writers.

Eleanor Dash is finally embarking on a vacation, of sorts. Eleanor has a ticket to an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas where she’s speaking at a conference. But before and after – pure vacation. And she does deserve it after all, seeing as she recently solved not one but two murders in the last year! Knowing Eleanor’s luck though – what does she discover as she is shown to her hotel room – but a dead body! Oh my…

There is no shortage of possible suspects as the conference is filled with MANY people that Eleanor knows and have the wherewithal and knowledge about various ways to murder someone and get away with it. After all – they are mystery writers! The conference centres around learning to write a murder mystery. The book actually does walk the reader through how to structure a murder novel and the craft of writing. Very cool, actually.

I could get into more detail about who did what, why, and how that makes them a suspect or not – but I think each reader should discover all of this on their own. Suffice it to say that the path to the killer is fraught with curves and roadblocks. But never fear – Eleanor does figure it out in the end – in true cozy mystery fashion.

There is no shortage of footnotes (same for books one and two of the series), which add so much to the story – do NOT skip them if you can help it! They add valuable insight into Eleanor’s thought process, etc.

I loved the cover art. Reminds me of a few vacations and swim-up bars from my past

Not to sound like a broken record, but if you enjoy:

• trying to figure out ‘whodunit’;
• beach locations, vacation vibes; and
• a funny (or replace with quirky ) main character;

then pick up a copy of This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack and get reading!

In fact – reading all three books in Catherine Mack’s Vacation Mysteries series is a definite must, in my opinion (backstory is helpful to know all the characters – though not 100% necessary), preferably on a beach with your favourite beach beverage of choice (FYI – mine is a lime margarita) and not in the company of mystery writers!

Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers

Death by Chocolate Mystery #9

By Sarah Graves                    

ISBN: 9781496744197

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

The townsfolk of Eastport, Maine, know the best place to satisfy their sweet tooth is at Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White’s bakery, the Chocolate Moose. But some people living in the island town have more sinister appetites…

As the sun sets on summer in Eastport, local celebrations are in full swing—and Jake and Ellie have their hands full supplying the most decadent of desserts for Eastport High School’s Class of ’97 reunion. Unexpectedly, the gathering includes ex-spouses, Cindy Munson and Terry Lawson, seemingly reunited as a family with their precocious 6-year-old daughter, Ivy. But when Cindy’s body is discovered murdered in Lawson’s car that night, suspicion immediately falls upon the tech-financier, who was once also Eastport High’s most notorious school bully.

As the evidence stacks against him, Terry becomes the prime suspect, leaving young Ivy in the care of child services. Remembering her own experiences in foster care, Jake volunteers to look after the little girl while conducting her own investigation into the night of the dance with Ellie.

But someone doesn’t want the amateur sleuths digging up past, humiliating secrets that may point to vengeful present-day motives—even if it means adding Jake and Ellie to a killer’s body count . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

I haven’t read any of the other books in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series by Sarah Graves as of yet, so this is my introduction to this author. Not sure I would recommend starting the series at book 9, but I did.

There are interesting characters in the series, and the mystery surrounding the death of Cindy Munson was well plotted. The ‘whodunit’ was not revealed until the end – which is a good thing as I truly like my cozy mysteries that way.

It is highly suggested (at least for the copy of the book I got) that the editing be reviewed:

• I was in chapter 2 when Ellie and Jake were talking about Ivy when out of nowhere there are a couple of sentences with Lizzie mentioned or her speaking – what gives with that? And then for the rest of the section – seems like Jake is having a conversation with Lizzie. Turns out when I read the next section, one sentence is written again (though at least this time it is after Lizzie actually shows up in the scene). Very confusing. And when Lizzie is introduced into the scene, we come upon more redundancy. Clarity and better editing is needed. Seems that both Ellie and Jake are at the bakery but without clarification, it tends to be confusing.  Took me approximately three to four times of reading all of this over to get who was in the scene and how the conversation was flowing between various characters.
• And unfortunately, I cannot forget spelling errors when “grave” was most definitely meant to be “gravel”.
• …”So I went ass the street to set it all up with Bridget”? 
• “…on a side tabl,e”
• I could go on, but I won’t. Just to say – all of the editing errors definitely distracted me from enjoying the story.  Maybe Kensington Cozies should hire more proofreaders?

And their attempt to be cute (one would hope) that was not cute in my opinion was when they used “vewy” in a sentence:

“But I needn’t have bothered trying to be vewy, vewy quiet; the porch light was on…”

Some of the descriptions used sure had caught my attention in a big (and good) way:

“Ack! The stool toppled one way, I tumbled the other, and while the ground was soft and there were no barberry bushes here, there were ants boiling up out of the ant hill that I’d just disturbed by landing on it. Red ants-and boy, were they mad.”

I did like the cover art – how can one go wrong with chocolate ladyfingers and a cute dog on the cover?

It is my fondest hope that by going back to the beginning of the series, I might become more empathetic to the main protagonists and that their backstories will provide the needed history for me to love (or at least like) this series (though careful editing would be very helpful).

As with any cozy mysteries, the journey to discover whodunit is what is most important, and I feel that Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers was sufficient in this regard.

Echoes in Death

In Death, Book #44

By J.D. Robb

ISBN# 9781250123114 

Author’s Website: jdrobb.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

Roarke and Eve are driving home from a charity event, when a naked woman steps out in the road, covered in blood.  Roarke stops just in time and they take the woman, Daphne, to the closest hospital.  They discover she’s the wife of a well-known and successful surgeon.  She keeps talking about the devil was waiting for them in their bedroom after a dinner party they hosted.  The devil attacked them both, secured Anthony to a chair as he proceeded to rough up Daphne and rape her.  However, the devil didn’t expect Anthony to get loose and he ended up killing Anthony in the struggle.

Eve quickly goes to the house and investigates the scene.  And a search of like crimes leads her to a couple of home invasions and rapes where the perpetrator dressed up like a ghoul and Dracula.  Now the assailant has escalated to murder and Eve expects the next time he will up his game and murder again … on purpose.

This case hits close to home for Eve with the rapes and murder.  Especially with Daphne who bears all the signs of an abused spouse.  Daphne is every bit of the child that Eve was when it all happened to her.  Roarke and Mira are right by Eve’s side to help her through any slips she may have while working this case.  I really miss the kinds of emotions this kind of case would bring up, in the past, in this series.  However, besides a crying jag, Eve didn’t show anything.  She chalked it up to her having grown and being able to handle stuff better.  That’s great, but I really miss the emotions in this series, and would welcome anything that would bring that back.  Anything!

I was able to figure out the culprit in this book as soon as he was introduced.  I figured they’d throw someone else at me though, that maybe he was just too obvious, but apparently, he wasn’t.  I have a hard time believing he was that stupid to detail all his crimes so easily in interview though, right after firing his lawyer.  Granted they already had everything they needed, but still.

Roarke and Eve were a little more doting in this book, but I’m still wanting to see more from them in the romance department.  I miss the early days with them so incredibly much, and I just want it back!

Overall, it was a decent read, with a messed-up killer.  However, everything is seeming so repetitive and boring in this series now.  Nothing sticks out much anymore.

IRL: In Real Life

After Oscar, Book #1

By Lucy Lennox & Molly Maddox

ISBN# 9781795507509 

Lennox’s Website: lucylennox.com

Maddox’s Website: mollymaddox.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

*Beware of possible spoilers*

Conor Newell has come to New York City on a mission.  He has to do a presentation showcasing his mother’s life’s work, an innovative medical breakthrough.  She created a 3-D printer that creates blood vessel prostheses.  The problem is that the patent for the medical materials that is uses as the ink has already been sold to Grange BioMed.  It makes them the only company they can sell the patent to the printer to.  If they were to sell it to anyone else, the printer would never make it to market and could never help those that need it.  And, Conor needs to sell it for as much as possible.  His mom is sick and they need the money to pay for her expensive experimental treatments.  The problem is that the CEO of Grange BioMed is a cutthroat businessman and shrewd negotiator, Wells ‘Glacial’ Grange.

Conor is overwhelmed by nerves leading up to his presentation.  And, the cute bartender at the hotel bar was flirting with him the night before his meeting and even slipped him, his phone number.  Conor decides to live on the wild side and shoots the bartender an intimate picture of himself, something he has never done before.  And, it starts a hot text chat between the two.  Or so it seems, until he realizes the person on the other end of the conversation isn’t the bartender, but some random stranger he’s never met.

Wells is prepared to get this deal done.  He has the Newells over a barrel already having the patent to the ink for their printer.  He expects to get the patent to the printer at a fraction of what it’s worth.  Then, out of the blue he receives a sexy picture on his phone.  He can’t help but flirt with the wrong number.  However, the next day he recognizes the tie that was in one of the photos on Conor Newell and knows he’s found his sexy texter.  Now he’s living a bit of a double life as the dominant texter and Wells, the business mogul.  He’s attracted to Conor, but he knows he can’t do anything that could jeopardize the deal.  But what happens when he falls into feelings, and the truth comes out?

This book just jumps right in.  There is no build-up of Conor coming to the city, and meeting the bartender or any of that.  It’s almost immediately him sending the picture.  Also, who sends a picture to someone without at least a hello?  Probably more people than I realize honestly.  Anyway, the book gets hot with the sexy texts pretty quickly.

I found that I do like the voices the authors gave these characters.  I thought they were engaging and funny from the very first chapter.  I enjoyed Wells and Conor.  Although I do wish Conor had a bit more of a spine, but I guess he needed to be a little more awkward and clumsy for this story.  He’s definitely not the person I would send in for a high-stakes negotiation on my behalf though.

I liked the beginning of this story, although I would have enjoyed a bit of a build-up at the start instead of being thrown straight in.  I also enjoyed the ending and found it to be sweet and sappy where it turns out great for everyone, except for poor Oscar perhaps.  Now that the series title makes sense, I feel really sorry for that guy.  Anyway, there were some parts in the middle that could definitely have been trimmed down.  It started feeling like it was dragging a bit and maybe a bit repetitious.  But overall, I found this to be a decent read, but it’s not for the faint of heart with the sex scenes.  Which is honestly a bit surprising considering it’s a m/m romance being written by two women authors.  I felt they did a pretty decent job though.  I would definitely consider reading more from them and this series.

Heartless

Chestnut Springs, Book #2

By Elsie Silver

ISBN# 9798354029266 

Author’s Website: elsiesilver.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of Spoilers*

Review

Cade Eaton has been the caretaker to his family since his mom died when he was only eight years old.  Always, helping his dad run Wishing Well Ranch and taking care of his three younger siblings.  Then, his son, Luke, came along.  Getting with Talia had been a mistake, but he can never regret having Luke.  His dad no longer runs the ranch and it has fully fallen to him.  His son’s babysitter is getting too old to keep up with the rambunctious five-year-old.  Cade is trying to hire a nanny for the summer until school is back in session.  However, the potential nannies seem to be more interested in spending time with him, then actually caring for his kid.  Until his future sister-in-law unleashes her best friend on him.  Willa is young and in-your-face.  You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth or her purse.  And, Luke takes an instant liking to her.  Cade does too, even though he tries to fight it. 

Willa was unsure what to do for the summer.  The bar she works at is closed for renovations.  She had planned to spend it doing shows with her horse, but the horse got injured.  Now she has the whole summer ahead and no plans.  Until her best friend, Summer, convinces her to be the grumpy cowboy’s live-in nanny.

Willa quickly falls in love with Chestnut Springs.  The beautiful view, the slow country life, and the great people on the property.  She enjoys poking the bear, where Cade is concerned.  When the two finally give in to the chemistry between them, they realize that they both are barreling fast toward heartache.  She’s only there for the summer.  What will happen when the summer ends and neither wants her to leave?

This was another good read in the Chestnut Springs series.  I really do enjoy those Eaton boys.  I still liked Rhett’s Book, Flawless, a bit more, but this was one was still good.  And we do still get plenty of Rhett and Summer in this one, as well.

“I just wanted a beer and a hot tub.”

“No problem, bro.” Rhett slaps me on the shoulder hard enough that my fingers ache. “I’ll grab you one for the road. Also, Summer told me to never go in that hot tub again. The fuck you been doing in there?”

“Get fucked, Rhett. I use chlorine tabs in there and test the water regularly.”

“Is the water pregnant yet?” he tosses over his shoulder while jogging away.”

I loved Willa’s crazy energy.  She was a perfect companion for Luke for the summer.  A friendly nanny that could get down and dirty playing with him, but also keep him in line.  And, at night she could do the same for his dad!  Once, Cade gave in that is.

“If Willa is the playground, I want to fucking play. Period.”

Cade’s ex did a number on him.  Made him think he wasn’t good enough.  He contented himself with his family and running the ranch.  He had given up on love and being happy.  Until Hurricane Willa hit and wrecked all of his walls.  Now he can’t imagine a life without her.  However, he may just have to face that possibility.  It’s time to get out of his comfort zone and fight for what he wants.

“I’m just getting started here.

Willa might drive me insane. She might deserve a little pushback. But if Betty thinks she’s going to be the one to push back at her, she’s got another thing coming.

Willa might be a bit of a psycho—after all, she did just push a child into the pool—but the more time I spend with her, the more I feel like she’s my psycho.”

This was a sweet romance, with plenty of laughs along the way.  I loved the teasing between these two.  The ribbing between all of the brothers, as well.  Although Beau wasn’t really in this one much, as he was off serving his country.

And Luke was still a load of fun too!

We also got to see where all the Eaton boys got their humor from.  Their dad was a hoot in this book.

I can start to see how the other couples are going to shake out in this series though.  Jasper and Sloane definitely have some unresolved feels going on, despite her now being engaged.  And, I thought I had Winter figured out, but I saw someone post the couples for the books and I was completely wrong.  Oh well, that may be for the best.

I truly enjoyed this book, and I’m really liking this series.  I loved that we got a bigger glimpse into Cade and Willa’s happily ever after. 

“And I realize in that moment maybe I am heartless after all, because the beautiful girl with the copper hair grinning back at me right now is the one who stole it.”

The only thing I was really looking for that wasn’t there and it’s so minor that it probably isn’t worth mentioning, but yet hear I am talking about it.  There was no mention of bringing Willa’s horse, Tux, to the ranch.  Like come on, I know Cade can make room for one more!  Put up some fancy jumps for him and Willa.  Maybe it was just implied that he’d come to live at Wishing Well too. 

Anyway, this was a really sweet book and it was a great way to spend the weekend catching up with old friends.  Well, not that old, I just discovered this series in the past month or so… but you get the point.

Murder from A to Z

Mystery Bookstore #11

By V.M. Burns

ISBN 9781496750822

Author’s Website: Vmburns.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

When Michigan bookshop owner and historical mystery author, Samantha Washington, and her sister, Jenna, agreed to host a class for seniors on estate planning, they didn’t plan on discovering shady doings at Shady Acres Retirement Village . . .

Nana Jo has volunteered her lawyer granddaughter, Jenna, to teach estate planning to retirees—with Sam providing her bookshop as the venue. But during the seminar, entitled Getting Your Ducks in Order, it quickly becomes clear someone’s up to Fowl Play. When elderly Alva Tarkington, accompanied by her niece, sits down for a consultation, Sam realizes the woman’s frequent blinking is actually Morse Code—S.O.S. The sisters get her alone, and Alva tells them she believes her life is in danger and must change her will . . .

Unfortunately, Alva is found dead the next day—seemingly from natural causes. But Nana Jo and the sisters suspect otherwise. In between penning her latest historical mystery, set in 1939 as England declares war on Germany and Lady Elizabeth Marsh pursues stolen paintings and a traitor, Sam teams up with the senior sleuths of Shady Acres to search for motives—beginning with Alva’s family. They soon learn not everyone is who they say they are, and someone is more than qualified to teach a class on cold-blooded murder . . . (from Goodreads)

Review:

Without exception, each cozy/historical mystery in this series is consistently better than the one prior! This gave me hours of pure enjoyment and suspense! Some of Sam’s (Samantha’s) big dreams have come true. As a relatively young widow, she is living the dream that she and her late husband nurtured. She owns a mystery bookstore, turned the huge loft into an apartment, and wrote and published the first in a series of historical British cozy mysteries. Sam never thought she could fall in love again. She and Frank, a restaurateur, will marry in two months.

Market Street Mysteries is growing into the pages of local readers. She also offers beneficial classes to the community. The current class offered the opportunity to learn about estate planning. Sam’s pit bull – uh, sister – Jenna is an attorney who is very knowledgeable about the subject, and is leading the class. Those attending include Sam’s grandmother, Nana Jo, and her friends from Shady Acres, a Senior living community where Nana Jo, Ruby, Dorothy, and Irma live. Frank, Sam’s fiancé, Jo, and her friends are like one big family, despite the age differences. The sense of community and kinship between the various ages is greatly appealing in this series.

One guest had her head bowed, seemingly out of it. After everyone left except the lady – Alva – and the woman who brought her there – Bethany – Alva looked up, caught Sam’s eye, and blinked, in Morse code, SOS. Sam caught on quickly and sent Jo take the younger woman with Alva out of the room. Alva began to interact as a fully functional woman, despite her earlier appearance. Alva needed help from Jenna, and handed her what she called an addendum to her will, to process urgently before “they” succeeded in killing her. This is one of the more poignant scenes in the book, the lengths Alva went to in order to alter her final wishes. Bethany was the wife of Carl, Alva’s great-nephew and only living relative. Jenna offered a free half-hour consult to Bethany and her husband, hoping to learn more about Alva and her potential killers.

Jenna and Sam went to Alva’s home the next morning, but Alva had died. Even before her body was removed, Carl and Bethany were trying desperately to find her will.

The detective with whom they helped find several murderers was on vacation. Brad “Stinky” Pitt, the king of ill-fitting polyester shirts and suits, caught the eye and heart of Frank’s mother, Dr. Camilla Patterson. She is a brilliant, stylish, renowned surgeon, and they were taking their vacation time together.  In desperation, Sam called her future mother-in-law, who volunteered Brad’s help to them to get an autopsy done. Alva, a former artist, had been poisoned.

This excellent mystery kept me engaged from the first page, and my fascination grew from there. The case had many strands to follow, and plot twists were as dramatic as hairpin curves. Alva’s addendum opened much speculation among her heirs!

A second mystery enhances the present-day murder. Sam, whose first book baby was in the world, worked on her next novel. Writing fiction helped her clear her mind. This novel has its own mystery, set in England during WWII. Stolen paintings and murder were intriguing, especially in light of Alva’s estate.

The characters are a blast to follow! Sam, Nana Jo, and their friends from Shady Acres have a long history together. Their dry wit and vague resemblance to the Golden Girls gave this reader much to laugh at. Their love for each other and for solving mysteries is a treasure and an adventure. Each of the regulars could easily step off the page to “real life”. The short-term characters, including Alva, Bethany, and Carl, are described per their roles and become easily recognizable.

There was much more going on than Alva’s murder and inheritance. Sam found herself chatting with an FBI agent, an art appraiser, and the local museum owner, as well as the two ladies hired to help Alva. I was happy to figure out one tiny section of the puzzle while Sam did the heavy lifting to put everything together. There were definitely surprises of the depth of the deceptions. I am all-in for the next mystery in this series, and highly recommend this and others in the series!

Resurrection Walk

The Lincoln Lawyer, Book #7

Harry Bosch Universe, Book #38

By Michael Connelly

ISBN# 9780316563765

Author’s Website: michaelconnelly.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

After getting a client off, who was serving time for a crime he didn’t commit, Mickey has a new lease on life.  He loved the feeling of the resurrection walk and would do just about anything to experience that feeling again. 

“nothing could ever beat the resurrection walk — when the manacles come off and the last metal doors slide open like the gates of heaven, and a man or woman declared innocent walks into the waiting arms of family, resurrected in life and the law.”

Now, Mickey is receiving letters from prisoners all over claiming to be innocent that want Mickey to prove it.  He tasks his half-brother, Harry Bosch, to go through the letters and find the needle in the haystack; a true innocent. 

What Harry finds is Lucinda Sanz.  She was accused of killing her ex-husband, Roberto, a police officer, on her front lawn after a heated argument.  After looking into the case, they discover that Roberto wasn’t the squeaky-clean hero everyone believed him to be.  He was a part of a sheriff’s gang, a gangster with a badge.  And, if Mickey’s hunch is right, Lucinda was set up to take the fall.  She has always maintained she was innocent, but was talked into taking a plea deal by her incompetent lawyer.  She has served five years of her sentence while her mother raises her son.  And, it’s up to Mickey to set her free once and for all.

I always enjoy the Lincoln Lawyer books, and this was no exception.  It doesn’t knock your socks off, but it held my interest and was a quick read.  Although I found this ending to be rather abrupt.

I enjoyed watching the case unfold and seeing just how corrupt the police department was in this novel.  And, seeing how Mickey could uncover it all.  The judge in this case, did make it a bit difficult throwing out the things that proved Lucinda’s innocence the most.  However, Mickey and his team were determined and persevered.

I think we’re really starting to see Mickey evolve as a person and a lawyer.  In the beginning of the series, he didn’t care, or even want to know if his clients were innocent.  He just wanted to get them off of whatever they were accused of and would use any technicality he could to achieve that.  Now, he’s working to free the falsely imprisoned. And, at the end of this novel, it looks like he’s about to make a huge change in his life.  I’m curious to see what he ends up doing next. 

I was curious about a couple of things in this book, though.  One, I couldn’t understand how Bosch had such a problem helping Jennifer clear her teenage nephew’s name, but had no qualms helping free Lucinda when the cases were so similar.

Then there is Maggie.  It seemed like she and Mickey were getting back together at the end of The Law of Innocence.  And then I start reading this book, and she’s pretty much nonexistent until she shows up to help the state in this case.  And, being a bit dirty in the process.  I’m glad to see Mickey call her out on it too.  I just thought it was so odd that there was no explanation as to what just happened between them in the space between these two books though.  I am glad he no longer cares what she thinks of his actions though.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I’m just curious to see the next chapter in Mickey’s life.  Hopefully, it’ll be something he can be really proud of but is also entertaining to read.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, Books #1-10

By Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson & Robin Wasserman

ISBN# 9781481443265

Cassandra Clare’s Website: cassandraclare.com

Sarah Rees Brennan’s Website: sarahreesbrennan.com

Maureen Johnson’s Website:  maureenjohnsonbooks.com

Robin Wasserman’s Website:  robinwasserman.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Review

This book takes place after Cassandra Clare’s final installment of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Heavenly Fire.  If you have not read that far into the series, I’d turn away from this review now, as there are bound to be spoilers ahead.

Simon is a human again, with most of his memories gone.  He is trying to figure out who he is, but can’t help, but to have feelings about not being who all his friends remember him to be.  He must wade through his life trying to figure out how to become a new Simon without truly knowing who he was before.  And, he must try to figure out how to bridge the gap between those two versions of himself.

Simon has decided to join the Shadowhunter Academy and start his journey into the process of Ascension.  It starts out as a way to get away from everybody who looks at him with disappointment for not being the Simon they used to know.  However, he truly starts to find himself at the Academy and he sees a future where he can help make a change from inside the very Clave itself.  Be the change for a better tomorrow!

Throughout the series, I’ve never been much of a fan of Simon.  I always found him to be a bit whiny and downright obnoxious, at times.  So, I didn’t have high expectations going into this book.  However, I will say this story really just seemed to work.  Maybe it was the help of Clare’s author friends that truly brought out a new side of Simon.  Or maybe it was always going to be that way.  Regardless, if felt like watching him grow and change right before our eyes.  And, I truly enjoyed his transformation.

This book was made up of ten short stories, but together they made up one big tale, two years at the Shadowhunter Academy.  I really loved the cover; they made Simon a lot sexier than I ever imagined him.  He’s got a bit of a John B from Outer Banks vibe to him.  And, I enjoyed the comic-style illustrations at the beginning of each story, too. 

I thought having guest speakers come into the Academy and speak to the students was a smart way to introduce flashbacks so we could get backstories on the characters’ pasts.  And, learn a little bit more about the Shadowhunters’ history.  And, of course, we got a reunion with characters we love.

We met a lot of new characters in this book.  At first, I didn’t care for most of them.  However, some of them really grew on me as the story progressed.  George and Marisol were definitely my favorites.  I liked George from the beginning, but Marisol was quite the surprise.  I really enjoyed watching her torment poor Jon.

There was a big change for a certain couple we love in this book, but this story also housed a tragedy that made my heart hurt a bit.

If you have enjoyed this series, you should definitely give this book a chance, even if you were like me, and didn’t care for Simon.  I’m really hoping that we will see some of these characters again and see them all grow into adulthood and beyond.

Eleanor and the South Beach Murders

Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery #2

By Ellen Yardley

ISBN 9781496750105

ellenyardley.com

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

For fans of Colleen Cambridge, S.K. Golden, Jacqueline Winspear, and Ashley Weaver, a brilliant 1950s Cold War historical mystery featuring the former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s indispensable assistant as an equally resourceful sleuth. As the duo become entangled in a deadly international mystery connected to famous performer Josephine Baker, can Kay trust her own instincts before it’s too late?

Miami, 1951. With a flurry of UN engagements bringing Mrs. Roosevelt to vibrant South Beach, Kay Thompson is thrilled to escape the post-Christmas blues in Washington, DC—and distance herself from the sting of her recent breakup with private investigator Tim O’Malley. The dizzying sights and sounds of Miami reach their peak at the Copa City Club, where a late-night meeting with singer Josephine Baker reveals a troubling Baker’s bold stand against segregation has made her a target.

Josephine dismisses the threats. But Rosaleen—her cautious young assistant with big dreams—is deeply afraid. That’s why it’s a stunning shock when a dead man turns up in Josephine’s dressing room and Rosaleen is the one arrested for his murder. Determined to exonerate her new friend, Kay realizes it will mean facing conspiracies and prejudices that reach into the darkest corners of American society still haunted by the horrors of World War II.

Now, tangled in a high-stakes murder case with lives and legacies on the line, Kay joins forces with Mrs. Roosevelt and her former flame to confront the sinister forces lurking just beneath Miami’s glittering Art Deco surface. But when a killer’s scheme comes into sharp focus, Kay must act swiftly in a quest for justice that proves far more dangerous than she ever bargained for . . .

Review:

If you are looking for a cleverly executed historical mystery that includes real people and events along with the fictitious, look no further. This is an exceptional historical mystery, as is the first one in the series, “Eleanor and the Cold War”. (Each can be read as a standalone). Set in Miami during the last week of 1951, it immediately pulled me into the era and events and held my attention. Included are some actual events, and fictional examples of events and challenges faced by many Americans, past and present. The harshness of segregation laws and the growth of the KKK were of particular note in this mystery.

Among the real people who are in this novel, the most well-known is Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and widow, and Josephine Baker, a well-known jazz singer and dancer in the mid-1900s. Being a sleuth, however, was not one of Mrs. Roosevelt’s many true accomplishments.

Josephine was a talented Black woman, born in poverty in the US and relocated to France as a young woman. She was invited to perform there, and went to further her career. She loved France and stayed there, without restrictions of race or color, and returned to America for concert tours.

During World War II, Ms. Baker had worked with the French Resistance, was a spy and smuggler of critical information, and sang to the troops. In addition, she performed at concentration camps that had been liberated, for the many prisoners who were too weak and ill to leave. Josephine and Eleanor were both very strong, highly respected women of their time. 

Eleanor was a well-known Human Rights activist and a delegate to the United Nations. She was instrumental in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was in Miami with her temporary secretary, Kay, during that last week of 1951 to participate in the conference of the American Association for the United Nations.

Josephine learned that Eleanor was in town, and invited her to her performance and the party in her dressing room afterwards. The two women became good friends. Kay, Eleanor’s secretary, spent a brief time with Rosaleen, Josephine’s assistant, but Rosaleen was busy with many things. Rosaleen worked to save for tuition for her second-year law school studies. This Black woman’s life would change dramatically that week; life for any of the ladies would never be the same.

Kay and Eleanor attended Josphine’s performance and party a second night, and Kay paid special attention as she saw the guests, including those suspected of being in the Klan. The next morning, Josephine was in tears at the door of Eleanor’s suite. Rosaleen was in jail for murder. She returned to the dressing room to get something after the party, and found a man inside the locked dressing room, and a pistol that had just been fired and thrown inside. The killer slammed and locked the door, trapping Rosaleen inside the room. The murdered man was white, extremely wealthy, with connections who would make sure she received the death sentence. As a black woman, she was automatically guilty without a trial, even without gun shot residue on her hands or clothing or her prints on the handgun.

When Rosaleen was finally released from jail, two subsequent murders occurred, and Rosaleen implicated in both. When Eleanor was in the conference, Kay was snooping around and listening in on conversations that put a bullseye on her life. Her ex-boyfriend, Tim, was in town to help protect Josephine, and was concerned with the risks Kay took.

This is an amazing novel and mystery! There were so many possible suspects, it was a challenge to follow each mystery thread to identify a potential killer. The end held huge surprises that I didn’t see coming.  I highly recommend this novel, and this series, especially for readers who enjoy mid-century history.