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What Are You Reading / Reviews
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What are You reading: July - Sept 2017
Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke5 Stars
Hannah is feeling the results of the new bakery that opened up across the street from her. Shawna Lee and her sister just opened the Magnolia Blossom Bakery and it's eating into Hannah's profits. That is until Hannah finds Shawna Lee dead from a gunshot wound.
Hannah knows she's suspect #1, so she sets out to find out who killed Shawna Lee and why.
This was #7 in the Hannah Swensen mystery series. It was a fun cozy read. So far I'm really enjoying this series.
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The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri - 4****
This is a dense, complex character-driven story, that explores both the immigrant experience and the relationships between family members. It starts slowly, but the really builds in the last third. Lahiri writes beautifully, and I kept marking passages. I so wish this was a book-club selection, because I long to discuss it with someone.
LINK to my review
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The Japanese Lover - Isabel Allende – 3***
This is a sweeping love story that spans decades. Told in alternating time frames, and with alternating points of view, the story unfolds as Irina and Seth discover tidbits of information about Alma’s past. The title alone is a pretty clear indication of what is to come in the novel, and yet I was fascinated to learn the details.
LINK to my review
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Escape from Mr Lemmoncello's Library, Graberstein
★ ★ ★ ★
This was a very fast & interesting read. I found it to be fun entertaining book that actually held my interest.
Mr Lemoncello is a famous creator of games, after many years of being away he returns to his home town & rebuilds the town's Library in what was once the bank.
12, 12-year old children are chosen to participate in an overnight game inside the Library. They are locked in the Library over night and have to find a the way out of the Library based on clues they find in specific books.
A few of the children are disqualified at the beginning (two opt for prescheduled commitments), a few more are disqualified while in the Library for cheating and bad behavior towards others.....
The Library is state of the art and even has a holographic Librarian....
It was great fun reading and at the end, I wanted more!
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Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, Fiona Carnarvon
★ ★ ★ ★
Alimna was the daughter of Alfred de Rothschild & his long-time lover Mrs. Maria Wombwell. He spared no expense on Almina, as would have other men in his position, and made sure that she was introduced to the right people thus insuring her a place in London Society
Almina met and eventually married George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon heir to Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). They had two children and the Earl was instrumental in financing and uncovering King Tutankhamun's burial chamber along side Howard carter.
Although Highclere Castle was the setting for Downton Abbey, and Almina was given a substantial dowry & income which she used to save Highclere, that is where the similarity ends. Almina & George were not the models for Robert & Cora Grantham. Cora was actually modeled after Mary Lieter Curzon, another American heiress of the time.
It is the history of Highclere that is reflected in the series of Downton Abbey... The use of Highclere as a hospital during WW I, the taxation & selling of some of the land for housing, the self-sustaining farming, etc. as well as some of the Downton Abbey characters having similar names & histories as those around Highclere.
Both Almina & her father, Alfred were financially responsible for major improvements in both Highclere and other war hospitals, as well as the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.
What I found alarming was the extent of abuse the soldiers took from the government: no matter how many times being wounded, upon recovery those physically able were shipped back to the Front & the stubborn stupidity of those leading the troops in Gallapoli and other battles where there was no chance of advancement.
Almina was also involved in the Egypt expeditions as was her daughter and both spent a good deal of time (off season) in Egypt.
This was a very interesting book and with the exception of the seemingly never-ending saga of WW I, I enjoyed it very much.
It was easy to read and thankfully not a scholarly tome.
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A Ghostly Light, Juliet Blackwell
★ ★ ★ ★
First, I must say, Juliet Blackwell is one of the few authors of Paranormal Mysteries that I have not wearied of... Her main characters do not bore me, nor are they "innocently" stupid, inane, or trite; so they do they make me angry and I continue to read her books!
Mel Turner is in the business of Historical Home Renovations, she is hired by a client to work an additional job renovating a historical lighthouse...
When the client's abusive ex-husband shows up fresh out of a local rehab trouble begins. Soon after being escorted off the island, the man returns and tumbles dead down the lighthouse stairs having being beaten & stabbed.
Mel connects w/ his ghost and at the same time with the ghost of the lighthouse keeper's wife & the apparition of her missing child.
Mel helps the lighthouse keeper's wife's ghost with the mystery of her missing child and deals with treasure hunters who are illegally searching the property.
In addition Mel visits another old house and although she had never been inside, as she walks through has visions of the house as it once was... The house turns out to be a connection to Mel's deceased mother with whom Mel has a deep psychic bond.
I liked the story, the part about the lighthouse keeper's wife was very interesting and the book itself was entertaining. I just wasn't happy with the romantic and overly pat manner in which the above mentioned house was handled.
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The Serpents Tale – Ariana Franklin – 3.5***
Book two in the series. There are several things I like about this series, starting with Adelia Aguilar – a strong, independent, resilient, and resourceful heroine. Franklin does a lot of research and it shows in the way she sets the tone and describes the landscape and relationships in 12th century England. The plot is intricate, and had more than one surprise for the reader.
LINK to my review
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The Serpents Tale
– Ariana Franklin – 3.5***
Book two in the series. There are several things I like about this series, starting with Adelia Aguilar – a s..."
I loved this series, but as I remember she passed after writing the 4th, so I was sad
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Final Jeopardy – Linda Fairstein – 3***
Linda Fairstein mined her own experience as a top prosecutor in New York’s Sex Crimes Unit for this debut thriller, starring NYC prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. It’s a fast-paced mystery with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists, a likeable main character, and some complicated relationships. I’ll definitely read more of this series.
LINK to my review
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I loved this series, but as I remember she passed after writing the 4th, so I was sad ..."
Yeah, that was a blow ....
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Icing on the Cake Laura Castoro
★ ★ ★
Chick-Lit:
Light & entertaining... some parts even interesting....
I finished it, but I skimmed a whole lot of it.....
Liz is Ted's ex-wife. Brandi ( ♥ dotted i) is his widow: Ted screw's them all by leaving EVERYTHING, including the PR firm that Liz made successful to Liz...
Catch? Liz has to work w/ Brandi, who of course uses sex to get almost everything she wants....
This interferes w/ Liz's passion her bakery (There is No Cake in her bakery...so where the hell the title came from I have no clue). She bakes breads to die for, but she & the bakery are in a slump....
Ted's stupidity turns out to be exactly what Liz needs to get her passion stoked up again & her bakery back to where she wants it to be
Yes, of course there is romance, but that is well written in & not the main point, but a solid pushing forward point.
It is down 1 ★ because I had to skim so much of the beginning fluff....
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Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea – 3.5***
This is a quest novel, a coming-of-age story, and a road trip adventure, populated by one of the most eclectic cast of characters in literature. I loved Nayeli, whose smile is like the sunrise. She’s honest, fierce, loyal to her friends, and determined to succeed in her mission. The novel is translated from Spanish to English, but still includes much Spanish and even some “Spanglish.” This may be challenging for readers who don’t speak Spanish.
LINK to my review
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Anything Goes: Grace & Favor #1, Jill Churchill
★ ★ ★ ★
Lily & Robert are impoverished, but were once rich & high society: Their father lost all his money in the crash of 1929 and promptly committed suicide leaving his children in debt & homeless...
As the series begins they have been invited to the reading of their Uncle's will. As it turns out he had been watching them and decided that as they were the only ones to have never asked him for money, rather taking jobs that barely kept them housed & fed, he left them the bulk of his estate on the condition that they: live in the house for ten (10) years; never leave the village for more than 2 weeks a year each; and they each find employment to support their personal needs, all the estate needs would be provided for from the Estate's funds.
Things are going along well, until someone brings up the fact that their Uncle drowned but the autopsy found a large gash in his head.... Both Lily & Robert begin to investigate, but those in the know have never been able to prove anything.
I enjoyed this book, it was interesting and entertaining.
I was sure that I had read this series before, but the only parts I remember are Robert & Lily's circumstances & Robert's yellow Duesenberg
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Someone to Watch Over Me: Grace & Favor #3, Jill Churchill
★ ★ ★ ★
This is the 3rd in the Grace & Favor series which I am mostly (#2 has not yet arrived) reading in order (Don't Faint).
Robert & Lily are settling into Grace & Favor Cottage (manor) nicely. Robert has decided to do some work around the estate & begins w/ the tearing down of the Ice House.... The door which once held the key is now locked & the key is gone forcing Robert to take the door from the hinges.
Inside the Ice House Robert and the Harbinger brothers find the mummified body of a man in a very expensive tailored suit.... the quest to identify the man & his murderer begins with Robert going to Manhattan & seeking out the tailor.
Meanwhile, Lily has joined the local do-gooders Ladies League and helps the local police chief make inquiries around the town.
These are very enjoyable historical mysteries: the characters are likable, intelligent, & enterprising. The story line is not overly improbable rather easy to read & entertaining.
Interestingly enough, the author gives us quite a bit of national political history, what I learned about Herbert Hoover really dismayed & disturbed me, especially the veterans' march on D.C. and the u.s. military terrorist attacks on them by President Hoover, General MacArthur, Major Eisenhower, & Patton.
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Love for Sale: Grace & Favor #4, Jill Churchill
★ ★ ★
Lily is approached by a mysterious man wearing a hat, dark glasses, muffler, and a very bad wig... He wants to rent out a few rooms of Grace & Favor for a private meeting and he gives her $500 cash.
In the meantime the local schoolteacher has gone home for removal of her appendix and both Lily & Robert are hired to fill-in for her.
The mysterious guest turns out to be a well known Evangelical Faith-Healing Preacher w/ a proclivity towards sexual harassment & abuse of his female employees.... When he turns up both stabbed & drowned in his tub at Grace & Favor Manor, there is no lacking of suspects.
I'm not sure what the title has to do with anything, as the women involved were not "selling" anything...
But it was a fast & easy interesting read.
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Putting on the Witch, Joyce & Jim LaVene
- ★
Olivia, Dorothy's Mother, is now a ghost that hangs out with the retirees of her former coven. When Dorothy's father, the most evil & powerful witch, comes to meet Dorothy all hell breaks loose as Olivia, her friends, & Dorothy's boyfriend to keep her & her father apart.
I HATED this book:
1. The dialog was trite
2. The characters were cardboard
3. The occult information was Incorrect & Misleading (Either put it in w/ a blind or leave it out completely: Seriously, don't make shit up or be ridiculous)
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Mary Curzon, Nigel Nicholson
★
Mary Curzon, daughter to one of the men that started Marshall Fields, was a young heiress that went to England and married into society.
Although Almina de Rothschild was the true mistress of Highclere castle (Downton Abbey), it was Mary Curzon that Lady Cora Grantham was modeled after...
I'd go on, but I can't; the author, Nigel Nicholson, son of Vita Sackville-West [don't you know] & Harold Nicholson wrote an incredibly boring and erudite account of Mary Curzon's life... written as only a scholarly man could/would...
I really didn't care for all the minutia it was dry... I wanted to know about Mary Curzon as a real person, not a historical figure...
After reading about Almina de Rothschild this was a huge let-down.
Pffft!
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Malicious Intent – Kathryn Fox – 3.5***
Great debut in a crowded field, starring Sydney’s only female freelance forensic pathologist. Fox writes a tense, compelling mystery thriller with a (mostly) strong female lead. I had identified the culprit pretty quickly, certainly by half-way through the novel, but enjoyed watching the characters figure it out for themselves.
LINK to my review
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Happy Never After – Kathy Hogan Trochek – 3***
I like this mystery series. It’s a little edgier than a traditional cozy, because Callahan is a former Atlanta Police Officer, but it has many of the classic elements of a cozy. I really enjoyed the premise in this installment, especially as I was a teenager in the era of the sixties girl groups.
LINK to my review
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Murder in the Bowery, Victoria Thompson
★ ★ ★
I enjoy this series, I'm actually reading it in order (although I'm pretty sure I didn't start out in order).
Sarah Brandt was from upper society New York, but left it behind to marry a doctor and become a midwife... He husband was murdered and rather than move back home to her parents house, she chose to live alone, adopt two children and continue her practice.
At this point she is married to PI Frank Malloy (former NYPD who is newly rich) and continues to help in his investigations.
It all begins when a young man comes and asks Malloy to help find his brother, Freddie, who was once a newsboy, had been shipped to Minnesota on an Orphan Train, but has since returned to N.Y. Malloy & his assistant Gino find a friend of young boy who returns to tell them that Freddie has been murdered...
When young woman (the soon to be wife of the Bowery Mob Boss) is found murdered & stuffed into a trunk in the Bowery it seems as there is an odd connection between her murder & that of Freddie.
Soon Sarah joins the case and finds signs of abuse & incest in the young woman's family.
I could have done without the incest, but it was well written and not explicit. It did however, fill in many of the blanks...
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Elephant Company – Vicki Constantine Croke – 3.5***
Subtitle: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II. The subtitle really intrigued me and I was eager to read about this particular episode, but the author gives us more than 200 pages of background before we get to World War II and the vital role Williams and his elephants played in the fight against the Japanese.
LINK to my review
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TEXT –
My Mrs. Brown / William NorwichAUDIO in the car –
Kitchens of the Great Midwest / J. Ryan StradalMP3 Player AUDIO -
Half Broke Horses / Jeannette Walls
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Baker Towers – Jennifer Haigh – 3.5***
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I love to read and discuss with my F2F book club. Haigh focuses on the Novak family to tell the story of America in the years following World War II. It’s a microcosm of American life, that encompasses many of the issues faced by the nation during the 1930s through 1970s.
LINK to my review
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Sycamore Row – John Grisham – 3***
A wealthy man commits suicide and leaves the majority of his estate to his black housekeeper. Why would he do such a thing? John Grisham can certainly write a thriller, and his courtroom scenes are entertaining, suspenseful and informative. I liked the various characters, or more accurately, I like the way Grisham writes these characters, even the smarmy attorneys hired by Seth’s children and Lettie’s n’er-do-well husband and distant relatives.
LINK to my review
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Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener – M.C. Beaton – 3***
This series is growing on me, as I get to know Agatha better. She’s a smart woman in business (apparently), but she is woefully bad at relationships. It takes a long time to get to the murder with all the relationship drama, but once Agatha discovers the body, her curiosity keeps her nosing about. All in all a satisfying cozy mystery.
LINK to my review
Clammed Up by Barbara Ross - 4 Stars When Julia Snowden returns to her Maine home, her intentions are to help revive the family's clam bake business. With a private wedding to start the season out with, Julia has high hopes for the summer. But when the best man is found dead on the island, the whole business is in jeopardy. Who killed Ray, the best man, and why was he hung up inside the island's mansion?
Julia sets out to find the killer and to hopefully save her business.
This was the first in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It was a fun, fast paced read. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.
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In the Still of the Night, Jill Churchill
★ ★ ★ ★
This is the 2nd in the series (which I thought I had & went crazy looking for) which I purchased:
Lily & Robert have decided to make a go of their inheritance by turning Grace & Favor Cottage (Manor) into a B&B where paying guests can meet & spend time w/ famous personages.
Their first famous guest is a well known author (who went to war & came back a very changed man) & his Aide de Camp. Their other guests consist of a young man Lily broke off with, his sister, a friend of Lily's who is also a school mistress, a friend of Robert's who is only interested in his inventions, and a particularly nasty/nice conniving woman whose most every word was a lie.
When the nasty/nice woman is found strangled in her bedroom, there are no end of suspects, for almost every guest knew & loathed her...
This was a light & entertaining story with interesting back political history of WW I & Hoover Politics.
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A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
★
I finally gave in and read this book... I wasn't impressed, I was bored by its preachiness and so those I skipped over.
I did not like the young girl, Meg.... I found her to be a self-centered brat
Synopsis: Meg's parents are scientists, working on big secrets. Her father has gone off on a special assignment and has been gone for years, causing for gossip & scandal.
Meg's older sister & brother, do not really figure in the story, but her younger brother Charles Wallace (of special knowing & understanding) does.
They meet a neighbor, Calvin, who is one of 11 children... along w/ Calving & the help of 3 mysterious females Meg & Charles Wallace go in search of Meg's father. They visit other dimensions, planets, & galaxies...
Had I never read this book, I don't believe I'd have missed anything.....
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To Marry an English Lord, Gail MacColl
★ ★ ★
At first I was impressed w/ the glitter & lifestyles, but then I read about how awful country life could be; MacColl doesn't really go into to the relationships of the rich imported heiress & their new staid English servants, but it could not have been easy nor would it have been easy getting along w/ in-laws...
It was amazing to learn that after many couples had their heir, they began multiple or long-term affairs and no one blinked an eye: going so far as to have house parties where both lovers were invited.
...and one could almost feel badly for them, until one reads about the wild parties both in & out of London & the flagrant waste of money, especially when entertaining Edward VII & Alexandra. The women had no less than 4-6 changes of clothing per day and during a house party (whether it be overnight or several days) no one ever wore the same thing twice. The one redeeming factor was that all leftover food was given either to the village or the London poor.
Families covered included: Astor, Vanderbuilt, Wadsworth, Pfizer, Post, Pinchot, Leiter (Curzon), Jerome (Churchill), Hammersley (Churchill-Marlborough), Golet, Colgate, & Burbank; to name a few.
The book itself was amazingly interesting, but oddly put together....
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Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, Judith Brown
★ ★
Sister Benedetta Carlini, Abbess of the Theatines was a visionary who suffered from stigmata: or did she.....
We really do not know until the end of the book, where we read of the investigations into her miraculous day & night time visions, and it is then we learn of the testimony of her roommate and the sexual acts perpetrated in the name jesus & of angels with ridiculous names....
Seriously, I believe that people have visions.... and most everyone who knew this woman believed her visions, but then she seemed to get a little carried away with her power and investigations began.
The book was easy to read and it was interesting....
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When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi – 4****
This memoir was written when Paul Kalanithi was in his mid-thirties, about to finish his training as a neurosurgeon, and had been diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. I was interested and moved by his story.
LINK to my review
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Sworn to Silence – Linda Castillo – 4****
First in a series. This is a tight, fast-paced thriller. I really like Kate; she’s intelligent, resourceful, fiercely protective, determined and a strong leader. Readers looking for a “cozy” Amish book should look elsewhere. There is a violent sexual predator on the loose and the victims endure torture and physical violence. I will keep reading this series.
LINK to my review
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TEXT –
Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi MitchellAUDIO in the car –
Dune by Frank HerbertMP3 Player AUDIO –
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
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My Mrs Brown – William Norwich – 4****
This is a lovely, charming story of one woman’s quest, at once modest and outlandish: to own an Oscar de la Renta sheath dress with jacket. Mrs Brown’s genuine goodness and politeness serve her well. Despite being the target of mean-girl behavior at work, and some serious setbacks, she perseveres quietly and consistently. It’s a wonderful fable, and I just love Mrs Brown.
LINK to my review
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Kitchens of the Great Midwest – J Ryan Stradal – 3.5***
A debut novel that shows the writer’s promise. The story is told in roughly chronological order, but each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. Through them the reader gets to know Eva, “the mysterious chef behind the most sought-after dinner reservation in the country.”
LINK to my review
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Half Broke Horses – Jeannette Walls – 4****
In what she calls a “true life novel,” Walls turns her attention to her maternal grandmother: Lily Casey Smith. Walls is a wonderful storyteller; she really brings Lily and all the other characters to life. And what a life! The author also does a fine job of putting the reader into this time and place. I could practically smell the horses, and feel the dust on my skin.
LINK to my review
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Under This Unbroken Sky – Shandi Mitchell – 5*****
This debut work just about broke my heart. Mitchell’s writing is luminous and poetic in places, making the landscape and weather central characters in the drama that unfolds in the last 1930s on the plains of Northern Canada. The novel touches on the immigrant experience, the harsh realities of prairie life, domestic abuse, faith, friendship, charity, pride, survival and forgiveness. This is a book, and an author, that deserves a wider audience.
LINK to my review
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The Member of the Wedding – Carson McCullers – 4****
Twelve-year-old Frankie Adams is bored with life and longing for adventure, for a sense of belonging to something “bigger.” Carson McCullers has a way of writing her characters that draws the reader into their very souls. Frankie’s journey through this phase of adolescence is at once painfully distressing, funny and charming. I was, in turns, afraid for Frankie and amused by her.
LINK to my review
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Unless - Carol Shields – 4****
When Reta Williams, a successful author and translator, discovers that her 19-year-old daughter has left college to panhandle on a Toronto street corner, she struggles to understand how and why Norah could have come to this. Sheilds’ novel explores what it means to be a woman, a mother, a writer, a feminist.
LINK to my review
Jerry-Book For I think $1.99 Bookbub allowed me to purchase 
"Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume I" by Neil Clarke
This is my review of the first short story.
" Today I Am Paul" by Martin L. Shoemaker -- Four Stars
An android designed to take care of an elderly patient with alzheimer's disease. The android can mimic all of the important people in the patient's life. This is only a short story but it is very touching. Perhaps it is the future. The author draws a good comparison between Millie, the grandchild, and Mildred, the elderly patient. Each day Millie gains a bit and each day Mildred loses a bit. Since we just went through this experience with my 93 year old father-in-law, this short story strikes almost too close to home. It certainly would be nice if there were nurse androids like "Paul" the robot.
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Binti - Nnedi Okorafor – 4****
This is a coming-of-age story, an adventure, a buddy road-trip, and a space opera all in one small package. I loved Binti. She’s resourceful, mentally and physically strong, a loyal friend, a compassionate person, and a canny negotiator. Science fiction is not my favorite genre (understatement), but I might read more of this series.
LINK to my review
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Death at Wentwater Court - Carola Dunn – 3***
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery debut. Daisy is a delightful central character and amateur sleuth. I’m a little unhappy with how the book ends –but it’s true to the time, place and social class.
LINK to my review
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick – 5***** and a ❤
What a treasure! This inventive, unusual novel in words and pictures, won the Caldecott medal for illustration. The book is intended for children, but will delight adults as well. The story of Hugo, Isabelle and Papa Georges is enthralling, and kept me guessing. But the drawings … oh, the drawings! The reader really needs to spend some time pouring over these intricate illustrations.
LINK to my review
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The Good Girl - Mary Kubica – 3.5***
What I most look for in this genre is a plot that keeps me interested, and keeps me guessing. Kubica delivered that. I was caught up in the intrigue, and interested in these characters and how they fit together. The changing points of view and time lines kept me off balance, much as the characters in such a scenario might feel.
LINK to my review
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- Brian Selznick – 5***** and a ❤
What a treasure! This inventive, unusual novel in words and pictures, won the Cal..."
I ♥ it too!
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I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, Margaret Cho
★ ★
I love to listen to Margaret Cho on Pandora: Women in Comedy and watch her on DVD....
I like her views on life, her honesty & her fight for humanitarianism... She is right on and bluntly honest.
Apparently, however, I do not like reading her books. This is the 3rd I've read and the 2nd I didn't like. I was thinking about this last night and I was comparing my dislike of reading her work to my reaction to Andy Rooney's books.... Which was/is the same. I love the sound clips & the visuals, but reading them is tediously boring for me....
I find watching & listening them both enjoyable & funny, but not reading them..... It is like an overdose of birthday cake.
There was one other thing that peeved me, There was a great quote by Jerry Seinfeld comparing Margaret Cho to Richard Pryor, but is was wrongly attributed to some newspaper on the back of the cover....
What she says in her book, is the same as her stand-up routines, they are funnier in her live voice than her voice in my head....
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On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service (A Royal Spyness Mystery), Rhys Bowen
★ ★ ★
Georgie (now 35th in line to the throne of Queen Mary) is asked by the Queen to go to a house party in France in order to keep an eye on the Duke of Windsor who is a house guest at a society party. There are many gathering there, a few of whom are working against England in favor of Mussolini & Hitler and of whom one is a murderer.
Meanwhile Georgie is also there to help her friend, society darling Belinda, with the upcoming birth & adoption of her baby.
Also along the plot line is Georgie's engagement to Darcy an Irish Catholic Lord and their planned marriage... but first she must stay alive long enough and be granted the Queen's permission to marry.
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A Catered Costume Party, Isis Crawford
★
I only finished this in order to find out "who done it".....
Some guy hits his wife on the head & throws her in the river... He seems to be afraid of someone following him... He hires the sisters to cater a costume party, with his payment he hands one an envelope to be opened in case something happens to him.
During the party he is found hanging outside the ballroom.... When opened the envelope contains $5,000 and a cryptic note asking the sisters to find out what happened to him.
There are these two sisters who investigate crimes together, but all they do is bicker & bitch, & bully each other.
There were FOUR chapters just on them arguing about being stuck on the roof in the rain! FOUR FREAKIN' Chapters!
Not Ever Again!
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Every Body on Deck, G.A. McKevett
★ ★
I do believe as I have gotten older that my taste in mysteries has changed! I once loved this series, it was fun, light & entertaining.... but with the advent of Savannah's marriage, her Granny moving to CA, & her bother moving to LA as well..... It has gotten to be too much Southern Family Goodness for me to contend with.
Savannah was once on the San Carmelita Police Force... shit hit the fan & she quit. Now she works as a PI beside her husband Dirk, who is still a detective on same police force.
Savannah's company, Moonlight Magnolia Agency, is hired by a very well known mystery writer to protect her on an Alaskan Cruise there the theme is murder & mysteries....
The plot was interesting, I guessed a portion of it.... It was all the goodness & family & Deep Fried Southern affection that finally put me off...
Another series I am throwing to the side of the road.
Book Chat - CLOSED by original moderator
Books mentioned in this topic
Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef (other topics)Lamb in His Bosom (other topics)
Saint Monkey (other topics)
Eventide (other topics)
The Zookeeper's Wife (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Shandi Mitchell (other topics)Frank Herbert (other topics)
Carson McCullers (other topics)
William Norwich (other topics)
J. Ryan Stradal (other topics)
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