Reading and Reviews (Grafton, Evanovich, Gallant)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

P is for Peril by Sue Grafton

 

Kinsey Millhone never sees it coming. She is mired in the case of a doctor who disappeared, his angry ex-wife, and beautiful current one-a case that is full of unfinished business, unfinished homes, and people drifting in and out of their own lives. Then Kinsey gets a shock. A man she finds attractive is hiding a fatal secret—and now a whole lot of beauty, money, and lies are proving to be a fatal distraction from what Kinsey should have seen all along: a killer standing right before her eyes...

 

My Review

So far, all of the Kinsey Milhone books I have read have been highly entertaining. This one didn’t seem quite as tight in the plot as prior books, but I won’t ding it too much for that. I think a couple of the characters didn’t ring true for me. I waited too long to do this review, honestly.

https://www.amazon.com/Peril-Kinsey-Millhone-Book-16-ebook/dp/B001D9T7ZQ

 

 

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

 

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and Trenton vice cop Joe Morelli join forces to find the madman killer who shot and barbecued the youngest son of international black-market arms dealer Alexander Ramos.

Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, is caught on video just minutes before the crime occurs. He's at the scene, he's with the victim, and he's the number-one suspect. Ranger is former special forces turned soldier of fortune. He has a blue-chip stock portfolio and no known address. He moves in mysterious circles. He's Stephanie's mentor--the man who taught her everything she knows about fugitive apprehension. And he's more than her friend.

Now he's the hunted and Stephanie's the hunter, and it's time for her to test her skills against the master. But if she does catch him...what then? Can she bring herself to turn him in?

Plus there are other things keeping Stephanie awake at night. Her maternal grandmother has set up housekeeping in Stephanie's apartment, a homicidal maniac has selected Stephanie as his next victim, her love life is in the toilet, she's adopted a dog with an eating disorder, and she can't button the top snap on her Levi's. 

My Review

This was one of the best, if not the best, Stephanie Plum book I have read. I haven’t read them in order, but it doesn’t matter. It was just gritty enough and quite funny. The dog was a hilarious addition. Stephanie is so down to earth every female reader can identify.

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Six-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/0312976275/

 

Free Fall by Jannine Gallant

 

Ascending Denali with family and friends was supposed to be a celebration of their engagement. Instead, the climb devolves into a horrifying nightmare when her fiancé falls to his death. With survivor’s guilt eating at her soul, Rowan Albright struggles to put the pieces of her life back together. If she hadn’t been bonding with Ian’s cousin, Xander, could she have somehow prevented his death? Or was the reason for his fall far more nefarious? Five years later, Rowan is climbing mountains and guiding backcountry tours in Glacier National Park, determined to put her troubled past behind her—and maybe find love again.

Rowan isn’t the only one with misgivings about the tragic Denali climb. For years, Xander Calloway has wondered if his cousin’s death was intentional. Now a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service, he organizes a reunion hike to put his theory of foul play to the test. Spending time with the beautiful Rowan is an additional perk since he’s had a harmless crush on her forever. But Xander gets more than he bargained for when a series of deadly mishaps occur. With a killer hiding in plain sight, he’ll lay his life on the line to protect Rowan from becoming the next victim—because a future without her is unimaginable . . . 

My Review

This isn’t my first Jannine Gallant book and certainly not my last. She is skilled at setting you down in a scene, especially the rugged, wilderness kind, giving the reader a wild ride. The suspense, the action, the romance all combine to create a great story.

https://www.amazon.com/Free-Fall-Edge-Survival-Book-ebook/dp/B0H1YZS5ML

Reading and Reviews (Culiner, Bennett, Kelly)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

Words for Patty Jo by Jill Arlene Culiner 

A passion for books creates a lasting bond between teenage Patty Jo and David, but small-town prejudice and social differences doom their romance.

After a summer of reading and falling in love, David heads for university, foreign adventure, and a dazzling career; Patty Jo marries slick, over-confident Don Ried.

Yet plans can go horribly wrong. The victim of her violent husband, Patty Jo abandons her home and children to live on the streets of Toronto. David, a high-ranking executive in Paris, is dismayed by the superficiality of corporate success.

Forty years later, Patty Jo and David meet again. Both have defied society; both have fulfilled their dreams. And what if first love was the right one after all, and destiny has the last word? 

My Review

Ms. Culiner has succeeded in writing another story that will draw you in and keep you reading. Only this time, she had me so involved, I could swear I was reading a memoir. That doesn’t even quite say it. The depth of the two characters’ points of view came through emotionally real. Patty Jo is a complicated young woman. David is a man we’d all love to know. How their lives intersect, diverge, and come back together is such a smooth transition of storytelling, the reader feels as if they are reading two books at the same time. Class differences, spousal abuse, dreams won and lost…are all woven with an expertise of wordsmithing. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GCV4D86P/

 

 

Widowhood: The Next Chapter: I'm Still Here - Now What? by Bobbie Bennett 

The personal narrative begins in the dark world of organized crime, where the author’s first husband brings a sense of danger into their lives. Dinner guests are asked to check their firearms at the door. She then stepped into an unexpected relationship with a younger man whose charm proved timeless, even if his ID was still getting doublechecked.

Through three marriages, two funerals, and one divorce, she discovers that love comes in the most unexpected forms, including a methodical engineer who fell head-over-heels for a free-spirited former go-go dancer.

This raw, candid memoir transforms heartbreak into hope, offering both laughter and practical wisdom for anyone rebuilding after loss. But make no mistake, these aren’t your typical fresh starts. Bobbie has rebooted her life from places most people wouldn’t dare enter, making her perspective not just credible, but hard-earned. More than a love story, it’s a survival guide for life’s most unpredictable chapters. She believes if you can’t be a good example, you might as well be a colorful one. Her stories offer humor, heart, and the kind of wisdom you only earn the hard way. 

My Review

On one level, this is the extraordinary memoir of a woman who has led and is living an adventurous, full life. On another level, this is a “how to” book with advice on dealing with heartbreak, surprises you’d rather not face, and rebuilding a life. 

https://www.amazon.com/Widowhood-Next-Chapter-Still-Here/dp/B0FLVTB7FM 

 

 

JIMI: Journey of a Wounded Warrior as told to Kathleen Kelly 

Jimi’s story invites you to join him on a healing journey of hope and courage. The Cherokee tribe, as seen through his youthful eyes, celebrates the People's coexistence with creation in traditional ceremonies and vibrant rituals, sharing wisdom passed down from generation to generation. He brings to light the challenges of living with polio in the 1950s and takes you with him through the formative years after his mother died tragically. He is thrown into the white man’s world, where he spends the rest of his childhood in Ohio orphanages. From there, he will take you along the road of a musician, magician, Vietnam veteran, and one man’s inspirational search for meaning. 

My Review

What an extraordinary life Jimi has led. I found it particularly interesting because of his Cherokee upbringing early on. My grandmother was Choctaw. Racism, abandonment, war, and so many other challenges faced him. But there are triumphs and adventures to keep you turning the pages. Ms. Kelly has done an excellent job of bringing this man’s story to life. 

https://us.amazon.com/JIMI-Journey-Wounded-Warrior-Kathleen/dp/B0GNZ8X1L1

 

Reading and Reviews (Gallant and Henderson)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

On Thin Ice (Edge of Survival Book 1) by Jannine Gallant 

After a shattering loss, Fiona put the pieces of her life back together, but can she escape the psychopath hellbent on revenge? 

One horrifying night, Fiona Ward lost her parents and her home in a blazing inferno and barely escaped with her life. Devastated, she testifies against the animal who murdered her family, but his incarceration comes with a steep price—sworn retribution. Standing between her and certain death is the U.S. deputy marshal who relocates her to Alaska, where she’ll face an unknown future with a grandfather who’s a complete stranger. 

Years later, Fiona Jones has found her purpose as an Alaskan bush pilot in the tiny wilderness town she calls home. But her peaceful world is upended when her parents’ killer escapes from prison, seeking vengeance. Now a deputy marshal like his father, Caleb Moss will risk his life to apprehend the fugitive and protect the woman whose courage he’s never forgotten. Together, they must outwit her devious nemesis—and the hidden menace neither anticipated. But for Fiona, her greatest challenge may be surviving the threat to her heart… 

My Review

I’m so glad Jannine Gallant has started a new series. I don’t know if the entire series will be set in Alaska, but I’m pleased this one is. I love a setting that is so real, it’s a character of the book. We are treated to a breathtaking opening for young Fiona. When it all starts to unravel years later, the action is nonstop and romance seeps in. This is an entertaining read for sure. 

https://www.amazon.com/Thin-Ice-Edge-Survival-Book-ebook/dp/B0FRT273RC/

The Body in the Belfry: An Izzy Munro Cozy Mystery (Izzy Munro Mysteries Book 3) 

by Alison Henderson 

When insurance investigator-turned-photographer Izzy Munro finds a vintage brooch tucked behind the sofa cushions in the cottage she inherited from her great-aunt in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, she never suspects the little pin will precipitate a cascade of events that culminate in the discovery of the body of a prominent local jeweler, hanging from the bell tower of the historic Carmel Mission.

Suspects abound, from the victim’s widow and stepdaughter, to a trio of shady jewelers known informally as the Cartel. The police are stumped, so Izzy’s boyfriend, an investigator with the DA’s office, enlists her aid as a volunteer consultant. With the help of trusty friends and three cheerful garden gnomes, Izzy uncovers secrets no one could have imagined. But when confronted by the killer, she must rely on quick thinking and her indomitable Burmese cat, Bogart, to survive.

 My Review

Ms. Henderson plunks us down in Carmel-by-the-Sea and aren’t we glad. Izzy is loving the town, although not so much murder. But she’s up for following the clues with a great cast of characters. You’ll be entertained with this whodunit. 

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Belfry-Munro-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FPDLS6XR/ 

Reading and Reviews (Sandford and Parrish)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

Holy Ghost (A Virgil Flowers Novel) by John Sandford 

Wheatfield, Minnesota: a metropolis of six hundred souls and change, for which the word "moribund" might have been invented. Nothing ever happened there and nothing ever would—until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: "I'll Do What I Can") and his precocious teenage buddy come up with a scheme to put Wheatfield on the map. Should something dramatic occur—say, that the apparition of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared at the local Catholic Church—the whole town would be turned into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things. The town would get rich! What could go wrong?

Then the shootings begin. And as they—and Virgil Flowers—are about to discover, that's only the beginning of their troubles… 

My Review

As usual, John Sandford is skilled in creating an entertaining read. I’ve loved his character, Virgil Flowers, from the first book in which he appeared. He’s cool, calm, and layback, approaching law and order with his own methods. The characters populating Wheatfield are delightful. The story is unique. All around a good read. 

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Ghost-Virgil-Flowers-Novel/dp/0735217343/

 

 

 

Southern Woman by Kathleen Parrish 

Kathy Whitaker works tirelessly to build a future for herself and her family in 1953 Cottondale, Mississippi. She’s turned Weaver Variety Store, inherited from Minnie Weaver, into a successful business, and despite her long hours, their family is thriving. Now, she eagerly waits for her husband, Towanna, to complete his last semester of medical school in New Orleans and return home to intern with a local doctor. However, two strangers arrive in town who threaten to upend her life: Richard Coswell, who claims to represent a large variety chain wanting to buy her store, and Ellen Matheson, a single mother seeking a fresh start for herself and her daughter.

Kathy rejects Coswell’s offer but soon finds herself entangled in a legal battle when Coswell discovers the probate on her inheritance was never properly closed and fabricates a claim that could force her to sell. Worse, her new salesclerk, Ellen Matheson, claims to be Minnie Weaver’s long-lost, illegitimate daughter and only surviving blood relative, entitling her to a share of the Weaver estate. 

My Review

Ms. Parrish weaves a complicated tale with enthralling characters. I love a book whose characters are vivid and well defined. She is also very adept at putting us in the time period and in the setting of the southern United States. Racism was accepted and part of life in the 1950s and even more so in the South. But not by everyone. Behind the fight for Kathy to keep her inheritance is a racial tale of love and deception. Early on, I was slightly confused at times with so many characters, but it was worth sorting it out to enjoy the read.  

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Woman-Kathleen-Parrish-ebook/dp/B0FGBN92JM

Reading and Reviews (Plakcy and Berry)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

 

Grounds for Hope: Smiling Dog Cafe (The Smiling Dog Cafe Book 3) by Neil S. Plakcy 

At a quiet Brooklyn café watched over by painted dogs and warmed by just the right cup of coffee, two teenagers arrive—lost, hurting, and unsure where to turn next.

In this deeply compassionate third entry in the Smiling Dog Café series—fully enjoyable as a standalone—author Neil S. Plakcy shares two powerful novellas about grief, resilience, and the unexpected ways we find our way home.

In Grounds for Hope, Miguel is alone on the streets after his father is deported back to their violence-plagued homeland. Cold, hungry, and nearly out of hope, he’s led to the café by a mysterious pit bull named Baxter—and taken in by Betty, the wise café owner whose coffee and compassion help restore his sense of safety and purpose.

In Finding Grace, Tanya is reeling after her mother’s decision to walk away from their life to “find herself.” Angry and unmoored, Tanya is gently nudged toward the café by Kiyomi, a calm, three-legged Samoyed—and slowly begins to rediscover her strength, her voice, and her path forward.

This tender volume celebrates how healing begins—in community, through ritual and memory, and with the quiet guidance of a dog who always knows exactly who needs help next.

Come in from the cold. The coffee’s brewing, and the dogs are waiting. 

My Review

I’m a dog lover, and I was immediately drawn to this book by the premise: dogs possess an innate sense to help and heal. The book relies on well-defined characters who are caring and have issues that immerse the reader in the story. A boy who is illegal in the country and how he finds a path to find his way is ripe for our times. Mr. Plakcy tells his story as if he’s lived it. Tanya might be a girl of privilege, but the pain of her mother’s action is deep. The café offers both of these young people hope.

 https://www.amazon.com/Grounds-Hope-Smiling-Cafe-Book-ebook/dp/B0FGWRNK2Y 

 

 

The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry 

A family’s secret, a ruthless fanatic, and a covert arm of the American government—all are linked by a single puzzling possibility:

What if everything we know about the discovery of America was a lie? What if that lie was designed to hide the secret of why Columbus sailed in 1492? And what if that 500-year-old secret could violently reshape the modern political world?
 
Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Tom Sagan has written hard-hitting articles from hot spots around the world. But when one of his stories from the Middle East is exposed as a fraud, his professional reputation crashes and burns. Now he lives in virtual exile—haunted by bad decisions and a shocking truth he can never prove: that his downfall was a deliberate act of sabotage by an unknown enemy. But before Sagan can end his torment with the squeeze of a trigger, fate intervenes in the form of an enigmatic stranger. This stranger forces Sagan to act—and his actions attract the attention of the Magellan Billet, a top-secret corps of the United States Justice Department that deals with America’s most sensitive investigations. Sagan suddenly finds himself caught in an international incident, the repercussions of which will shudder not only Washington, D.C., but also Jerusalem. Coaxed into a deadly cat-and-mouse game, unsure who’s friend and who’s foe, Sagan is forced to Vienna, Prague, then finally into the Blue Mountains of Jamaica—where his survival hinges on his rewriting everything we know about Christopher Columbus. 

My Review

This story held my interest and kept me turning pages because of the “what if” factor. Plus, in the recent years of factoids and fabrications you can find on the Internet, so much has been speculated about Columbus. It was a fun read of fiction and fact.  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OCYQJU/

Goddess Fish Review Tour Birds, Puppies, and Murder

The Review Tour has kicked off with two stellar reviews. Check out the reviews everyday and enter for a chance at a gift card. It's a win-win! This tour is thanks to Goddess Fish.

October 1: Gina Rae Mitchell
October 1: The Avid Reader
October 8: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
October 15: Country Mamas With Kids
October 22: travel the ages
October 22: nanasbookreviews

Lost puppies, endangered birds… The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire.

 When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. The stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will they expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them?

AMAZON BUY LINK

Reading and Reviews (Finn and Grafton)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

The Secret in the Stacks (The Bookshop Detective) by Kat Finn 

A mysterious letter hidden in a valuable book leads a novice bookshop owner to uncover a decades-old disappearance in a quaint coastal town. 

A former librarian turned bookshop owner uses her literary expertise and newfound amateur sleuthing skills to solve a decades-old missing person case in a small coastal town, uncovering long-held secrets and finding her place in a close-knit community. 

When Olivia Paige inherits her aunt's bookshop in charming Millbrook Cove, she expects a quiet life surrounded by books. But a cryptic letter discovered in a rare edition of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" plunges her into a 30-year-old cold case. As Olivia investigates, she clashes with skeptical locals and forms unlikely alliances, including a gruff fisherman with surprising literary knowledge. With her keen analytical mind and vast knowledge of mystery novels, Olivia must piece together clues from dusty records and town gossip to solve a long-buried secret—and possibly put herself in the crosshairs of a killer who thought their crime was long forgotten.

This is the PREQUEL to The Bookshop Detective series.

My Review 

I haven’t read any of the other novels in this series. I was given this prequel free, and I’m glad I read it. I’m a fan of cozies, but I don’t like the cutesy kind which seem to be in abundance right now. I started two others and quit a chapter in. Ms. Fin has woven a twisty cozy with smart characters and just enough of the “cozy” feel to make it a good Cozy Mystery. I’ll be sure to check out the other books in this series. 

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Stacks-Bookshop-Detective-ebook/dp/B0DJPR518R/

 

 

S is for Silence: A Kinsey Millhone Novel by Sue Grafton 

Cases don't get much colder than that of Violet Sullivan, who disappeared from her rural California town in 1953, leaving behind an abusive husband and a seven-year-old named Daisy. But PI Kinsey Millhone has promised the now adult Daisy she'll try her best to locate Violet, dead or alive. All signs point to a runaway wife—the clothes that disappeared; the secret stash of money Violet bragged about; the brazen flirtations she indulged in with local men, including some married ones.

Kinsey tries to pick up a trail by speaking to those who remember Violet—and perhaps were more involved in her life than they let on. But the trail could lead her somewhere very dangerous. Because the case may have gone cold, but some people's feelings about Violet Sullivan still run as hot as ever... 

My Review 

To date, I’ve enjoyed the PI Kinsey books, but this one wasn’t one of the best. It started off keeping me turning pages so I got deep enough into it, I had to follow it to the end. There is a lot of jumping around in past and present. I didn’t much care for some of the supporting characters that I thought I was supposed to like. Or maybe I wasn’t supposed to like any of them. Hard to tell. Where they find Violet was a stretch for me. That’s all I’ll say so I won’t spoil it. Eh, somewhat entertaining. 

https://www.amazon.com/S-Silence-Kinsey-Millhone-Novel-ebook/dp/B000O76NCS/

 

Reading and Reviews (Evanovich and Jance)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

 

Look Alive Twenty-Five: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich

 

There's nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw, and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, and the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.

 

My Review: 

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Stephanie Plum novel. How odd it took me a couple of chapters to actually start enjoying it. I like her character Lulu, but the book started out being more about her than anything else. But true to form for Ms. Evanovich, it finally took off offering plenty of laughs, sighs at the two hunks Stephanie keeps company with, and an entertaining read. 

AMAZON BUY LINK 

 

Desert Heat (Joanna Brady Mysteries Book 1) by J. A. Jance

 

A cop lies dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun—a local lawman who may well have become the next sheriff of Cochise County. The police brass claim that Andy Brady was dirty, and that his shooting was a suicide attempt. Joanna Brady, his devoted wife and mother of their nine-year-old daughter, knows a cover-up when she hears one . . . and murder when she sees it. But her determined efforts to hunt down an assassin and clear her husband's name are placing Joanna and her surviving family in harm's way—because in the desert, the one thing more lethal than a rattler's bite . . . is the truth.

 

My Review: 

Being from Arizona, I could identify with the heat and the small-town obstacles Joanna Brady encounters. I know that those readers who aren’t familiar with Arizona will get a good visual. The characters are well-defined and the story is just twisty enough. Joanna is tough enough, but relatable, for a new widow who wants answers. I’m glad I started with book one to see how it all began. I’ll look forward to the rest of the series. Jance is up to 11. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

Reading and Reviews (Black and Grafton)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

The Case of the Croaked Coach (Hannah White Mysteries, book 1) by Susie Black 

There wasn’t an honest bone in Buzz Bixby’s body. The Encino High School’s head football coach was an equal-opportunity scoundrel. Bixby cheated and lied his way to the top and screwed anyone and everyone in his wake. So, the question wasn’t who wanted the bastard dead. The question was, who didn’t?

Student reporter Hannah White’s interview with the coach is a nonstarter when she discovers varsity football hero Dean Snyder standing over Bixby’s battered corpse holding a bloody trophy. Despite how guilty Dean looks, Hannah is convinced he’s innocent. When Snyder is arrested for Bixby’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to flesh out the real killer.

But the trail has more twists and turns than a slinky, and nothing turns out how Hannah thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge. 

My Review 

Susie Black has launched a new cozy mystery series with The Case of the Croaked Coach. At Encino High School, the head football coach has collected quite a list of enemies. Who would like a cheating scoundrel who lies, treats women badly, and steps on anyone who gets in his way? When he ends up dead, murdered, and one of the football players is the prime suspect, student reporter, Hannah White is on the case…with a little help from her lawyer Uncle B and a female private investigator whose smart mouth rivals Hannah’s.

I found Hannah a delight, and the seriousness with which she takes her position on the school paper fun. The amateur sleuth in this series might be a high school student, but I’m convinced from this first book, this is a full-fledged cozy that will give mystery readers hours of entertainment. 

Ms. Black has established a cast of characters that I’ll enjoy following in the next book and beyond.

 

Y is for Yesterday (A Kinsey Millhone Nove, book 25) by Sue Grafton 

In 1979, four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate—and film the attack. Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that follows, one boy turns state’s evidence and two of his peers are convicted. But the ringleader escapes without a trace.
       
Now, it’s 1989 and one of the perpetrators, Fritz McCabe, has been released from prison. Moody, unrepentant, and angry, he is a virtual prisoner of his ever-watchful parents—until a copy of the missing tape arrives with a ransom demand. That’s when the McCabes call Kinsey Millhone for help. As she is drawn into their family drama, she keeps a watchful eye on Fritz. But he’s not the only one being haunted by the past. A vicious sociopath with a grudge against Millhone may be leaving traces of himself for her to find... 

My Review 

It’s hard to find fault with an author who can crank out 25 novels around one detective, Kinsey Millhone. And this is the fourth book in the series I’ve read, but not in order, so I have enjoyed them. I enjoyed this one too, but found a little trouble following the storyline a few times. She uses a flashback technique to slowly reveal what actually happened in 1979. So we hop between that and her investigation in 1989. She also dropped in a villain who is after her from one of her other novels. The problem could’ve been caused because I read in brief segments of time before I go to bed…actually in bed. If I read for longer times, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten lost. Regardless, it was an entertaining book. I’m sure I’ll drop back and read at least some of the others in the series.

Reading and Reviews (Henderson, Marshall)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

A Death in Room 213: An Izzy Munro Cozy Mystery (Izzy Munro Mysteries) by Alison Henderson 

Izzy Munro’s budding photography business gets a big boost when she’s asked to photograph a holiday wedding at a grand old seaside hotel in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea. Everything is going perfectly until the best man disappears after the ceremony, and his tuxedo-clad body is found floating in the bathtub of his room.

Who could have wanted him dead—a swindled client, a secret lover, the father of the bride? What about the catering manager or the wedding planner? No one is off the hook.

Before Izzy and her maybe-boyfriend—an investigator for the DA’s office—can narrow the list of suspects, a second death muddies the water, threatening to turn the investigation on its head. As they work to untangle the web of leads and evidence, Izzy begins to wonder if the seeds of the crime might lie deeper in the victim’s past. With the help of her trusty trio of friends and bossy Burmese cat, Bogart, she keeps digging until the shocking truth is finally revealed. 

My Review 

Izzy Munro is still getting settled in her new life. I love starting over stories for women over forty. They have life experience they can roll into the adventure. Izzy seems to fall into murder mystery with ease, and she's off on another crime to solve. The setting is enticing. The plot is twisty. There’s a hint of romance. Ms. Henderson has done a wonderful job in creating a warm, entertaining cozy mystery.

 

Finding Zachariah: In a Community Garden by Nancy Hick Marshall 

Who knew a feral cat named Sebastian could observe and share so many different insights about human behavior- all within a formerly abandoned lot?

FINDING ZACHARIAH allows you to capture the spirit of what is possible in a community garden. While this remarkable story is fiction, it is based on true events. Imagine a veteran with PTSD, who has fallen into homelessness and thinks alcohol is his only friend - only to find a true friend in a feral cat, Sebastian. Then, imagine a family suffering from losing their dad to violence.

Finally, imagine the possible healing and reconciliation that can occur when volunteers work their own "road map" to turn their lives around - with the help of compassionate humans, the feral cat, and a service dog.

Many things go on in a community garden - mulch-making, seed-planting, pollinating, irrigating, nurturing - both plants and people, and reaping a bountiful harvest. 

My Review 

As told from the point of view of a feral cat, this unique story will tug your heart and bring you chuckles too. I’ve had the good fortune to listen to the author speak about her book. This story is based on true events, and there’s a lesson for all of us within the read.

Reading and Reviews (Gallant, Grafton, Anderson)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

Perilous Quest (Truth and Lies, book 3) by Jannine Gallant 

On a quest to find a lost treasure, will they fall victim to love . . . or murder?

As a genealogist and historical researcher, Brielle Quintrell often uncovers secrets families would prefer to keep buried. Hired by the elderly scion of the Cape Cod Bishops, a dynasty stretching back to the founding fathers, she can’t wait to delve into their ancestry—despite her client’s skeptical grandson.

Weston Bishop has his hands full running his family’s cranberry farm, seeing to his grandparents’ needs, avoiding his ex, and keeping his cousin out of trouble. The last thing he wants is a genealogist digging into his family’s past and creating problems. Especially one as pretty and distracting as Brielle.

When old letters and diaries lead to more questions than answers, hinting at a dangerous legacy, Weston is hooked. The idea of recovering a stolen treasure is almost as tempting as his new partner. But after word of their search leaks, the two discover they aren’t the only ones determined to solve the centuries-old crime. Someone will go to any lengths to find the prize—even murder. 

My Review 

How fun to mix genealogy, history, and a treasure hunt in a suspenseful romantic adventure. Brielle and Weston are appealing characters…a genealogist and a cranberry farmer. There are enough suspicious characters to keep you guessing until the end as to who the villain is. A read you’ll enjoy. 

Q is for Quarry: A Kinsey Millhone Novel by Sue Grafton 

She was a "Jane Doe," an unidentified white female whose decomposed body was discovered near a quarry off California's Highway 1. The case fell to the Santa Teresa County Sheriff's Department, but the detectives had little to go on. The woman was young, her hands were bound with a length of wire, there were multiple stab wounds, and her throat had been slashed. After months of investigation, the murder remained unsolved...

That was eighteen years ago. Now the two men who found the body are nearing the end of their careers in law enforcement—and they want one last shot at the case. Old and ill, they need someone to help with their legwork and they turn to Kinsey Millhone.

Kinsey is intrigued by the cold case and agrees to take the job. But revisiting the past can be a dangerous business, and what begins with the pursuit of Jane Doe's real identity ends in a high-risk hunt for her killer. 

My Review 

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book. The two old detectives jump off the pages, they are so well written. The cold case research has lots of twists and turns. The suspense is tense. 

When Oceans Rage: A Rivals to Lovers Sea Adventure (Woman at the Helm Mystery Book 2) by Rolynn Anderson 

To save her father, she must shut down corporate espionage and unearth a murderer before the killer finds her.

A shocking inheritance of a shrimp boat from her estranged father entices MIT-trained Jill Morrell to resign from her cushy Seattle job. Her lack of experience boating or fishing soon makes her a pariah on the Port McNeill dock. Worse: While she invests time and energy into a successful prawn season, her father languishes in prison for a murder he may not have committed.

Ray Stewart, stepson of the murdered man, has a stealth agenda of his own. Ray aims to sue Jill for ownership of the million-dollar vessel. In fact, he’ll join Jill’s crew for the season to protect his family’s asset while keeping an eye on the ever-fascinating, unpredictable Ms Morrell.

The raging ocean pales in comparison to the violent and greedy folks out to destroy Jill’s livelihood. Though Ray and Jill are sworn adversaries, they must join forces to find a murderer and identify traitors in their British Columbia community. 

My Review 

First off, Ms. Anderson gives us just enough information about the prawning business to entertain us while telling the story and not sound like an instruction manual. That’s not easy to do. The title tells you Rivals to Lovers which is an interesting trope. Not only is there tension and suspense involving murder and espionage, but the tension between the rivals keeps you turning the pages too. A great read.