Gone Astray by Terry Korth Fischer

September 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Gone Astray by Terry Korth Fischer
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, with the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to-toe with younger men. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the two crimes together. But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes and he loses his job?

Regardless of the job type or position, when we begin a new one the first thing we usually get to do is sit and wring our hands and wish for absolutely anything to do. This is the plight of Detective Naismith. New to the Winterset PD. He’s been a detective in tough places and proved himself plenty but now…he’s the only big fish in a small pond. The only big fish with exactly no cases. But sometimes, we get what we wish for, and Rory Naismith does.

I thought this started out a little slow but when I looked back on the whole story, I realized it was the nature of the story. By that I mean everything started out slow for poor Detective Naismith. He had to sit on the desk, answer phones, even deal with a bunch of little old ladies worried about their friend. Slow, right? Then, the storyline picked up. The reading began to flow and then the author had my full attention.

This is a somewhat long book. But the author seems to fill it with character description. We get to know the inner lives of our characters and their stories. This is a good mystery filled with some red herrings that kept me guessing. A mystery that I really enjoyed.

Terry Korth Fischer has several other stand-alone books published. All have good reviews. I sure did like Detective Naismith though. Hope we get to see him again.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Cut by George Pelecanos

September 7, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Cut by George Pelecanos
Publisher: Orion
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Crime fiction writer George Pelecanos introduces Spero Lucas, an anti-hero making his place in the world one battle at a time. Includes a bonus work of short fiction focusing on Spero’s early life.

Spero Lucas has a new line of work. Since he returned home to Washington, D.C. after serving in Iraq, he has been doing special investigations for a defense attorney. He’s good at it, and he has carved out a niche: recovering stolen property, no questions asked. His cut is forty percent.

A high-profile crime boss who has heard of Lucas’s specialty hires him to find out who has been stealing from his operation. It’s the biggest job Spero has ever been offered, and he quickly gets a sense of what’s going on. But before he can close in on what’s been taken, he tangles with a world of men whose amorality and violence leave him reeling. Is any cut worth your family, your lover, your life?

Spero Lucas has served his country and after returning home discovered he wasn’t suited to more steady or a regular job. Instead he does small investigations and – his specialty – retrieving lost or stolen items. The deal though is he always takes a cut – usually forty percent of the value of the item he recovers. It’s been working just fine for him until what should have been another simple retrieval turns out to be a lot more complicated than Spero estimated.

I really enjoyed this gritty and gripping mystery story. This is the first book I’ve read by George Pelecanos and by about half way through I had ordered both the sequel to this book and two other books that begin different series of his. I loved the writing style – brief and gritty, almost a noir or hard-boiled sort of style. This won’t be to everyone’s tastes as there are some things Pelecanos will dwell and on and describe quite well – like clothing, music or books – but other more regular things (for example like landscapes or decorations, items readers often use to paint their own mental picture of what’s occurring) that aren’t as fully fleshed out. This didn’t bother me as much as I thought it might as the pace is kept moving at quite a decent clip and I was rushing along beside Spero trying to work out what was happening.

Readers who like a decent pace, plenty of action and a number of really strong secondary characters along with a good, solid plot should find this book really fits with what they’re wanting. I really enjoyed it – finding the plot tightly woven, the characters vivid and interesting enough to keep my attention and Spero an interesting and layered character. I was also pleased he wasn’t the classical loner style of gritty noir detective – he had a decent sized family and was particularly close with his brother. Spero also enjoyed and appreciated the ladies he came into contact with and he had an interesting enough personality that he could spend time with pretty much anyone. I really enjoyed this and found it added appreciably to the story.

With a lovely twisty plot (but nothing unrealistic or too outrageous), good characters and plenty of supporting people plus a lovely noir/gritty tone of voice this was a great book and one I know I will enjoy reading again in the future. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

More Than I Bargained For by Kelli A. Wilkins

September 7, 2021 By Leave a Comment


More Than I Bargained For by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Katie doesn’t like going to estate sales. Why? Because she sees dead people.

When Katie reluctantly attends an estate sale with her friend Diane, she gets more than she bargained for. The deceased former owner of the house, Grace, realizes that Katie can communicate with her, and she has a lot to say.

As Katie pretends to shop, Grace tells her the story of how she was murdered—and reveals that her killer is still in the house.

It’s up to Katie to uncover the murder weapon and get it to the police… before time runs out.

There’s plenty of unfinished business happening at this estate sale.

The character development was fantastic, especially when it came to Grace who was the deceased woman who wanted Katie’s help. I had a strong impression of what all three of the characters were like as individuals, but Grace’s personality was so well-formed that it was easy to forget she was fictional. It was delightful to get to know all both of these women as the estate sale went on.

I would have preferred to see a bit more time spent on the mystery elements of the plot. Most of the hints regarding it were shared almost immediately, so the audience wasn’t expected to do much thinking about what had really happened to Grace. If the narrator had expected more of us, I would have easily chosen a full five-star rating.

The ending was satisfying. I appreciated the way the narrator wrapped up all of the most important details of it while still leaving a little wiggle room for a possible sequel. If the author ever decides to revisit this world, I’d love to find out what Katie and her best friend, Diane, get up to at their next estate sale. They were such a good team that they could communicate with each other in all sorts of subtle ways that other people might not notice. This was exactly the sort of skill that comes in handy when spirits and strangers are milling about.

More Than I Bargained For was a wholesome and heartwarming read.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Double Deception by Joan Wolf

September 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment


A Double Deception by Joan Wolf
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

ONE BETRAYAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH

Enchantingly lovely Laura Dalwood was little more than a girl when she was given in marriage to a man whose glittering wealth concealed a dark secret revealed to her only on her wedding night.

Now her husband’s death had freed her from that odious union—and Laura vowed never to make so grievous an error again.

But how could she reject the handsome and brilliant Mark Cheney, Earl of Dartmouth, when his proposal was one that no young woman of sense or sensibility could rightly decline?

And what could she do when, as his bride, he carried her over the threshold to allow her to discover just how much she could love a man—and then, to her distress, just how much she could fear him…

The synopsis for A Double Deception was a great advertisement that piqued my interest enough to want to pick up and read this story.

My attention was absorbed while reading this sweet romance between the hero, Mark, and the heroine, Laura. I found it easy to connect with them through their developing relationship as they discovered how to trust and love one another despite all the rumors and secrets.

Mark was serious, intelligent and, I felt, mysterious. Laura was independent, strong and compassionate. Together they made a perfect family. There was a mild suspense plot thread woven throughout the story that kept me riveted to my seat and turning those pages. I was filled with worry over Laura’s safety and the impact of this plot conflict on their relationship.

I have to be honest and confess that the first two chapters felt like information overload. I had to read the first two chapters twice to process the family history of the cast of characters that were introduced by Lady Maria. Lady Maria is actually Laura’s godmother and Mark’s aunt. It helped me to draw a family tree to visually see and help me to remember who was who. It was definitely worth persevering through the beginning of the book because when Mark and Laura did finally meet in chapter five it was if I had already knew them.

In conclusion, this was a very good book. My heartstrings were pulled, my funny bone was tickled, and my romance meter was raised. I’d definitely recommend picking this book up.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes

September 3, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Princess and the Pea gets a tasty twist in this fresh retelling of the beloved classic fairy tale.

Ma Sally cooks the best black-eyed peas in Charleston County, South Carolina. Her son, John, is a highly eligible bachelor, and three local women vie for his hand in marriage by attempting to cook as well as Ma. At the last minute, a surprise contestant named Princess arrives at the door. Princess and John are well-matched, but Princess has her own ideas. When told she has won John’s hand, she asks him to scrub the pots and pans before she’ll give him an answer. Her answer, it turns out, is that she wants to spend some time getting to know John first.

Complete with Princess’s recipe for Black-eyed Peas, Princess and the Peas is a charming, food-filled read aloud perfect for the whole family.

Before anyone lives happily ever after, they’ll need to make some smart decisions first.

One of the best things about this retelling was how well it worked both for readers who are already familiar with the original fairy tale as well as those who haven’t heard it yet. This story was different from its source material in so many important ways that it could be enjoyed by a wide variety of ages and perspectives. That isn’t something I see very often in this sub genre, and it was as delightful as it was thought provoking.

It would have been nice to have a better explanation for why Ma Sally decided to interfere with her son John’s attempt to find a wife. While her intentions seemed to be honorable, she also came across as a little overbearing to me at times because of how much influence she wanted over this decision. That was one part of the plot I’d feel the need to explain to the little ones in my life, and I’m saying this as someone who really enjoyed the storyline in general.

I adored the messages about what really makes someone a good person. The author took such a practical and wholesome approach to the question that I kept nodding vigorously as I read more scenes. They knew exactly how to dig deeply into their character’s personalities to find the most important traits for anyone to look for if they want a spouse or even a new friend!

Princess and the Peas made me smile. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes realistic retellings of classic fairy tales.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

One Jaded Rose by James Byron Books

September 1, 2021 By 4 Comments


One Jaded Rose by James Byron Books
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Genre: Contemporary
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

One Jaded Rose is a light-hearted caper, the first in the series written by James Byron Books. Rose needed a plus-one, but not for the usual wedding or party. She was going to a funeral and needed a quiet, unassuming type, but when Nic Thorn arrived, he was anything but a wallflower. Rose and her BFF, Sandy, have time on their hands, and soon find that Nic will fill the void. He coerces them into his madcap investigations of scams, frauds and misunderstandings. This modern-day adventure leads them from one lively caper to another, involving portrait provenance, invoice inaccuracy, and a recycler’s relapse, on their travels from Brisbane to Adelaide and across the South Australian border.

OMG…. I loved this book. There were several times when reading it I had to interrupt DH in his own reading so I could read parts of it aloud! There were references a time or two I didn’t quite understand, not being Australian, but I got the gist of it even then. And there are a LOT of funny moments and a lot of cultural references that some readers may not get. But, even with that, it did not take away from my enjoyment (though as much as I love music, I had trouble understanding how Rose was so very clueless in that regard. She did redeem herself in my eyes, though, with her love of British humor!

The characters are great fun… I could so see this as a TV show… kind of a wacky Mission Impossible or Leverage. I loved the repartee between Rose and Nic and can’t wait to see them together in future adventures. I do hope the chemistry between them continues to grow but not TOO fast! Love the slow burn.

The missions were fun as well, but I think a little more time could have been spent on those….part of my love of adventure shows is actually seeing how things are set up. And, I would love for Rose and Sandy to have some more active roles in future books.

All in all, this is definitely a series I’m going to follow. Great job!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Seb and the Sun by Jami Gigot

August 27, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Seb and the Sun by Jami Gigot
Publisher: Ripple Grove Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Seb is determined to find some light for his sleepy coastal town. It is so far north, the sun does not shine in winter and the days are cold, dreary, and dark as night. So Seb embarks on a mission to find the sun. Along with his friend Walrus, he makes a plan, collects supplies, and rows far out to sea. Will Seb be able to find the sun and bring its light and warmth back to his town?

No one is ever too young to make a difference.

There was so much kindness embedded in Seb’s community. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how nicely everyone looked after each other during the long, cold, dark days of winter in the far north. It was such a safe and close-knit town that a kid could wander around asking for all sorts of things before his journey began without anyone giving it a second thought. I was delighted by the warm and cozy atmosphere this created for me as a reader.

While I definitely wouldn’t expect a fantasy story to answer every single question I had, I would have preferred to see a little more world building here. For example, I kept wondering how Seb knew where to find the sun or what he was planning to do if or when he found it. Including a few more details about this sort of thing would have encouraged me to give this a full five-star rating.

I appreciated how subtle the fantasy elements of the plot were in many places. They could have been interpreted in multiple ways, including ones that didn’t require the use of magic at all. This meant that the darkness that enveloped Seb’s town could also be seen as a metaphor for any number of possibly scary or unsettling things a kid might be dealing with. I always love it when picture books can pull something like that off.

Seb and the Sun was a magical read that I’d recommend to adults and kids alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Country Music Cowboy by Sasha Summers

August 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


*Country Music Cowboy by Sasha Summers
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

What’s a country music star to do when his world is falling apart around him?
Can he find his way back home?

According to his record label, Travis King’s drinking and partying has to stop. Or else… Image rebranding means joining AA and singing opposite one of the industry’s rising stars at an upcoming awards show. It wouldn’t be so bad if Loretta Gram wasn’t cold as ice. No matter how hard he turns on the charm, she won’t give him a break. It looks like this cowboy has finally met his match.

Loretta is still grieving the death of her original singing partner, and she doesn’t have it in her to deal with playboy Travis King. But her career is all she has, so if singing with the Three Kings is what she needs, she’ll do it. Loretta isn’t as cold as she lets on, but she’s had more than her share of heartache. When she finally shows Travis who she is, he knows he’ll do anything to be her forever cowboy.

Even famous country music stars have insecurities. That’s the premise of Sasha Summers newest book Country Music Cowboy. This story is filled with emotion and heartache but also optimism and good feelings. Loretta and Travis are both successful country music stars and they have one thing in common, they each have a whole lot of baggage.

I loved reading Travis and Loretta’s story, they have loads of chemistry and great dynamics between them. I enjoyed reading this touching story filled with scorching looks and underlying tension. Travis and Loretta are complex characters and they have been through so much, I kept hoping they would have the HEA they deserve. I knew if they just let their guard down and believed in the power of love, they would find happiness together.

Travis King and his family have been part of the country music scene for years. Travis has a well deserved bad boy reputation and is a recovering alcoholic working hard every day to stay sober. Travis has demons and even though he is successful and handsome, he is full of self doubts and insecurities.

Besides being a country music star, Loretta hasn’t had too much good luck in her life. The last thing Loretta wants to do is to get involved with Travis, but she can’t seem to help herself.

I enjoyed being immersed in the country music scene. This is a moving story with an interesting plot, the pacing is good and although the characters are celebrities, they felt real to me. I was quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

I found it easy to relate to Travis and Loretta, plus I loved the entertaining secondary characters included in this story. I have read all the books in this series and each one is about a different sibling in the King family. This tender and uplifting story left me with a smile on my face.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Eternal by Lisa Scottline

August 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Eternal by Lisa Scottline
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Historical, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

What war destroys, only love can heal.

Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist; Marco the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists; and Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and a doctor. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta’s heart. But in the autumn of 1937, all of that begins to change as Mussolini asserts his power, aligning Italy’s Fascists with Hitler’s Nazis and altering the very laws that govern Rome. In time, everything that the three hold dear–their families, their homes, and their connection to one another–is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

As anti-Semitism takes legal root and World War II erupts, the threesome realizes that Mussolini was only the beginning. The Nazis invade Rome, and with their occupation come new atrocities against the city’s Jews, culminating in a final, horrific betrayal. Against this backdrop, the intertwined fates of Elisabetta, Marco, Sandro, and their families will be decided, in a heartbreaking story of both the best and the worst that the world has to offer.

Unfolding over decades, Eternal is a tale of loyalty and loss, family and food, love and war–all set in one of the world’s most beautiful cities at its darkest moment. This moving novel will be forever etched in the hearts and minds of readers.

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I wasn’t going to read the latest book by Lisa Scottoline; the subject is not something that I would typically read and the length of the book is intimidating. The first day I open the book, expecting not to like it. Fast forward, a week later after finishing the book I am definitely glad that I did give the book a try. The story is a harsh real life event and may be a trigger for some but it’s a beautiful story of family, friendship, and love for people.

The author did a wonderful job in providing scenic details of the cities, and of the events during that time. I love historical reads and I admit that previously I only read history about the United States. But after reading this book it has peeked my interest on what I probably have missed out on reading especially if a story is told with such authentic details and from a heartfelt account that makes it feel personal.

The story is told from several different characters’ viewpoints. The author did this in a way that allows the reader to know thoughts and events that we otherwise may not have known or had to assume if she only voiced the words from Elisabetta D’orfeo, Sandro Simone and Marco Terrizzi. Elisabetta is about to reveal a thirteen year secret to her son. She starts her story during a time of innocence in her childhood. The events that she tell gradually unfold over decades until his birth.

I loved the relationship between the Simone and Terrizzi families. Though the Simone family was Jewish, it didn’t stop Massimo or his son Marco from risking their life to support and save Sandro’s family during the war and cruelty that the Jews suffered.

This was a history lesson and a must read. It’s heartbreaking and upsetting to me how, based on a person’s heritage or beliefs, they can either be looked upon in greatness or looked upon as less than. I was only reading the story and found myself in tears and disbelief so I can not imagine what those that lived this actually felt. The author delivers a full story, the bad and the ugly, but what stands out to me is the fight for what’s right, for equality, the fight for family and definitely the fight for those that we know and call our friend.

I define courage as letting the one that you love go so that they won’t be subjected to the harsh brutality of your heritage. I define courage as standing up for those that are less fortunate or helpless even though you risk being killed. I define courage as the author creating such an emotional story that tells such inhumane acts that should never be repeated but never should be forgotten.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James

August 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James
Southern Ladies Mystery, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

With the Mississippi sun beating down, An’gel and Dickce are taking a break to cool off and pet sit their friend Charlie Harris’s cat, Diesel, when their former sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, shows up at their door unexpectedly, with her ne’er-do-well adult children not far behind.
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Rosabelle’s selfish offspring are desperate to discover what’s in her will, and it soon becomes clear that one of them would kill to get their hands on the inheritance. Suddenly caught up in a deadly tangle of duplicitous suspects and deep-fried motives, it will take all of the sisters’ Southern charm to catch a decidedly ill-mannered killer…

She believes she’ll be killed…but will she?

This is a cute story with two sisters who love to solve mysteries and a Maine Coon cat who knows people’s true nature. I like the writing because it sped along nicely. I had to know whodunit. The sisters are funny and the cat is adorable.

Dickce and An’gel Ducote like to solve mysteries and they’re born nosy women. It’s okay. They have a mystery happen at their home and it’s natural that they’d want to solve it. This cozy mystery is cute and hits all the right buttons–it’s got animals, a mystery and it’s fun. The mystery is just complicated enough to be entertaining. I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. I’d read other Miranda James books and it was nice to see the genesis of Endora and Peanut, too. It’s a great story.

If you’re interested in reading a story that’s good for an afternoon, mysterious and fulfilling then this is the one for you.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,
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