Sunday, February 9, 2025

February 9th's Sunday/Monday Post

Greetings!  It's time for another Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Not too much to report here this week.  We successfully closed the books on another month at work.  We got some rain, mostly on Thursday.  It wasn't too much, but it looks like we've got a ton of rain coming this coming week.  Unfortunately, after the fires we've had, that probably means some mud slides and/or flooding.  If it's not one thing, it's another, right?

Today is game day, so I'm trying to get this ready early, although I'll hold off on posting it until late on Saturday.

Are you planning to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday?  I'll be watching from somewhere.  The friends I normally watch it with are out of town.  We will see if anything else comes together or not.  If not, I have plenty to do on my computer while also watching the game, so I'll be more than fine watching it by myself.

Pun of the Week:


My cousin works at the paper factory where his responsibilities are twofold.

This Past Week on the Blog:


(And, yes, I did stealth edit this late Sunday night last week.)

This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Book Review: The Lies We Live by Liz Milliron
Tuesday - Movie Review: Splash of Love
Wednesday - Book Review: April Fool Dead by Carolyn Hart
Thursday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: From the Heart
Friday - Book Review: Chocolate Can Be Deadly by Kim Davis
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I seem to be collecting books like crazy so far in 2025.  Yes, I've got lots more to tell you about.

Of course, it helps that I'm collecting ARCs still.  March is going to be very busy.

The first of the new ARCs is Silent as the Grave, the new Molly Murphy Mystery from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.  Honestly, I don't know much more about it than that.  But it's book twenty-one in a series I've been reading for over twenty years.  So it really doesn't matter, right?  The book comes out the beginning of March, so I'll be reading it soon.  These books are set in the early 1900's New York City.

My next ARC is for a book coming out at the end of March.  And it's another historical mystery.  Homicide in the Indian Hills by Erica Ruth Neubauer is the sixth in a series set in the 1920's.  Each book has been set in a different location.  Obviously, this one will be in India.

Next up is another historical mystery.  This one is set in France in the 1950's.  I'm talking about A Fashionably French Murder by Colleen Cambridge.  This series is fun since it features Julia Child as a supporting character.  It doesn't come out until late in April, so it will be a little longer before I read it.

Let's switch away from ARCs and historical mysteries.  Like, maybe, to culinary cozy mysteries.  Dana Mentink recently released a fourth book in her Scoop Shop Mysteries, Thrown for a Scoop, and she gave it away for free to her newsletter subscribers.  Naturally, I jumped at that.

Paging the Dead, the first Family History Mystery by Brynn Bonner has been on my radar for a while.  So when the Kindle version went on sale earlier this week, I jumped on it.  As of my typing this on Saturday, it is still on sale.

Finally, I stopped by my local Barnes and Noble on Tuesday to buy a new release.  Sadly, they had their pre-order sale just a few days to late for me to save on this one, but I'm not complaining (too loudly).  That book is London Calling the sixth City Spies book by James Ponti.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm reading a book called London Calling by James Ponti.  Sound familiar?  This is a middle grade series I love, and I couldn't wait to get into it and find out what is going to happen next to the characters.  I'm about a quarter of the way into it and loving it.  Not looking like I will get too much read Saturday, but I'm sure I'll finish it up in the early part of next week.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

Saturday, February 8, 2025

February 8th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Poppa’s House – That was just all kinds of awkward, and not in the fun way.  I did appreciate Jr. standing up for his wife and family, something I feel he doesn’t do enough.  But that was about it.

Rescue: HI Surf – So now that one love triangle has ended we’ve got another one?  Great.  Not surprised that Cap isn’t retiring.  They could have wrapped that up a few episodes ago.  The storm fizzling was a bit anti-climatic.  But it worked budget wise, I’m sure.  And it was a nice twist on one of these types of shows for the disaster to not happen.

Night Court – While it was a little uneven, there  were some scenes in both storylines that were pretty funny.  I enjoy the scenes with cases in the court the most.  I wish we got a bit more of those.  But the stuff with Dan was the best part.

Deal or No Deal Island – I do not get Dr. Will at all.  He seems out to make sure everyone hates him.  What is the point?  In fact, how was he “proving” the entire weasel thing.  I just don’t get that at all.  I did like he strategy with the numbers, that was fun.  But wow, he’s a jerk.

Shifting Gears – I was smiling through most of that and I laughed pretty hard a couple of times.  Plus it was much more touching than I was expecting.  I really appreciated where it went.  I’m sure I know where the romance is going to go, but I like that they left the door opened, at least for now.

Wild Cards – Oh, how I missed this show.  Yes, the premise is stretched way too thin.  I do not care in the slightest.  It’s fun, and I was happy to reconnect with the characters.  Very interesting to see where they are going to go, although I’m feeling like Max working on a new con with her dad is already a recycled storyline.

The Challenge: All Stars – I wouldn’t have minded the rain keeping me from dangling over the side of a building.  I completely get why people would be so freaked out by that challenge.  I hate heights as well.  I’ll be curious to see how the eliminations go since they’ve got teams with pretty uneven physical advantages.  But tonight’s seemed like it was fair to both teams.

Happy’s Place – I really liked this one.  Wasn’t sure how I’d feel with the mother showing up.  No, we didn’t really get much of the backstory they were talking about at the beginning, but I loved the emotional growth we did get.  Along with plenty of laughs.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Impossible Dream

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Inspiring and fun movie with characters we love
Cons: A few small things, but nothing major
The Bottom Line:
A trip to DC
Provides follow up on case
Heart warming again




Trip to DC Provides More Than the POstables Bargained For

When I realized that the fourth Signed, Sealed, Delivered movie followed up on the events of the last movie, I made a point of watching it quickly while the events of the third movie were still fresh in my mind.  I’m glad I did since The Impossible Dream was another great movie.  (Of course, my review got buried in my drafts folder for a while, but that’s another story.)

In the conclusion of an arc that started during the show, Rita (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) is heading to Washington DC for the Miss Special Delivery competition.  Naturally, Norman, Oliver, and Shane (Geoff Gustafson, Eric Mabius, and Kristin Booth) are going along to support her.  But while they are there, they are surprised to see Phoebe and her grandfather, Harper, (Megan Charpentier and William B. Davis).  The two are hoping to get some definite answers as to what happened to Phoebe’s mother, who has been officially missing for two years now.

Shane decides to help by reaching out to her ex, Steve (Mark Valley).  Their timing is perfect since a letter has just arrived that might be a clue as to Phoebe’s mother’s whereabouts.  But it is classified.  Will the POstables be able to see enough to figure out what is going on?

Most of the movie is structured as our four leads are telling what has happened to a select Congressional committed.  (And you have to laugh at the man who is identified as Senator Illinois.)  Yes, I usually am annoyed by flashback stories like this, but in this case, I’d say the technique worked well, especially since that committee comes into play later as they must decide what to do with what the POstables uncover.  This main story is compelling, even though I figured I knew where it was going to go.

Then there’s the subplot involving Rita.  Since we’ve been building to this for quite a while, it’s nice to see them follow through.  I’m assuming we won’t hear much of this particular storyline, but we’ll see going forward.

And yes, the romance between the two couples continues to build.  One couple gets a leap forward while the other takes a small step.  Well, sort of.

The acting continues to be good.  In lesser hands, our leads could be caricatures, and some of these moments would be awkward.  Instead, these characters are charming, and we want to spend more time with them.  Glad I’ve got a lot of movies ahead of me still.

As always, be prepared for some emotional moments.  Ultimately, this is a heartwarming movie.

We also get a version of “The Impossible Dream” from Man from La Mancha here.  That’s no surprise given the title of this movie.  It might just be my favorite version of the song ever.

I’m glad I’m back on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered train.  I look forward to continuing to see what is next for the characters.  If you haven’t caught The Impossible Dream yet, you are in for a treat.

This movie is part of the movies 1-4 DVD collection.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Book Review: Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell (Gilded Newport Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Creative and engrossing plot mixes characters real and imagined
Cons: Wrap up a little fast but completely logical
The Bottom Line:
Abandoned baby
But is murder connected?
Great historical




Did a Baby Leads to Murder?

I’m quickly getting hooked on Alyssa Maxwells Gilded Newport series. The third book in the series was calling to me, so I worked Murder at Beechwood into my February reading schedule. I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed it. 

This book opens at the end of June 1896. Emma Cross, a distant relation of the Vanderbilts, is surprised one morning when she finds a baby has been left on the doorstep of her home. There is no note or any other way to identify where he came from. But Emma is determined to find out who the parents are so she can help in any way she can. 

Her inquiry leads her to Beechwood, where Mrs. Caroline Astor is holding a lawn party to entertain some visiting family friends. But the day ends in tragedy when a death occurs. It appears to be a tragic accident until Emma uncovers some evidence that sabotage was involved. Can she figure out what is going on? Does it have anything to do with the baby? Or is there another motive?

This book does a fabulous job of mixing real people in with the fictional. We have several of these real people over the course of this book, but they blend so completely with the fictional that it is easy to believe everything was really happening. I love that. 

And yes, this means that the characters come across as real. This is only book three, but I’m already invested in the characters’ lives and want to see what will happen to them next. I got just as invested in the new characters as I did the returning ones. 

And that makes the plot engrossing. I always had a hard time putting the book down and returning to our time when real life interrupted. Despite the summer vacation vibes setting, this book does get serious, but it pulls off that juxtaposition well. The solution worked for me. It was a bit abrupt, but that’s a minor complaint. 

I especially liked that the plot involved some unusual elements. I’m not going to say any more, but the creativity was appreciated. 

I’m already plotting when I can get back to the Newport of 130 years ago. If you are looking for an excellent trip back in time, you’ll be glad you picked up Murder at Beechwood. 

Check out the rest of the Gilded Newport Mysteries

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 4

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Action and humor are fun
Cons: Very predictable story
The Bottom Line:
Po’s next adventure
Is mostly predictable
But still fun for fans




“You Have Got to Workshop Those Proverbs.”

I haven’t watched any of the Kung Fu Panda movies in a long time.  (And I didn’t even know there was a recent show, or I’d forgotten about it if I knew.)  But I was curious to see what they were going to do with Kung Fu Panda 4.  I did wait until the movie hit streaming, but I’m glad I watched it since I enjoyed it overall.

This movie opens with Po (voiced by Jack Black) being the Po we all know and love.  He’s saving the day in ridiculous ways and helping his dad open his new noodle restaurant.  However, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) says that it is time for Po to pick the next Dragon Warrior so that Po can take on his new role as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.  Po has no desire to do that, however.

So it works to his advantage when word that a powerful sorceress, The Chameleon (Viola Davis) is back and terrorizing a village.  Po decides that this should be his final Dragon Warrior adventure.  Since he doesn’t know the territory, he agrees to let Zhen (Awkwafina) help guide him.  Zhen is a thief who doesn’t seem to want to give up her ways.  Can Po reform her?  Will he defeat The Chameleon?

I’ve got to say, I was disappointed that we didn’t see much of the supporting cast.  There was a subplot with Po’s dad’s that was okay.  It wasn’t terribly original and pretty much was there to help with the climax, but it had some entertaining moments.

Not that the main storyline was terribly original, either.  I pretty much knew where it was going after about 20 minutes – at the end of act one.  But that’s never a problem if I’m having fun.  And I had fun.  The big scenes were well done and the jokes worked to make me laugh.  I wasn’t fully engaged, but I was having fun.  Granted, the entire franchise hasn’t been terribly original.  I just feel like the first movie had more fun along the way.

I will say, it took me a while to warm to Awkwafina’s voice work in the movie.  You know how sometimes, the voice actors come across as they are reading a script?  That’s how I felt about her character.  I’m not sure if I warmed up to her performance or she got comfortable with the voice acting, but by the end, I was buying her character.

The rest of the cast?  They were fine.

Likewise, the animation was good.

If you are a fan of this franchise, you’ll want to check out Kung Fun Panda 4.  It’s fine for fans, but it won’t change the minds of anyone who isn’t a fan of the franchise.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Book Review: Framed for Murder by Marla A. White (Pine Cove Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: The characters and their relationships drew me in
Cons: A few things bumped me from the book
The Bottom Line:
Will Mel help Poppy?
Really like the characters
But there are some flaws




Can Mel Clear a Frenemy?

When Framed for Murder crossed my path last year, I decided to give it a try. After all, I do enjoy reading books set around California. Sadly, the book wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. 

After being injured on the job, Mel O’Rourke finds her career as a police officer over. With help from her family, she buys a B & B in Pine Cove and tries to focus on her new life. 

Of course, that’s hard when she finds her old life sitting in her living room one morning. Poppy Phillips was the thief that Mel spent so much time trying to catch when she was an officer. Now Poppy’s come to Mel with a wild tale of being shot at while committing a robbery she’d been hired to make. Oh yeah, there was the dead body she stumbled upon as well. It is obvious that Poppy is being framed, but can Mel figure out how to clear her? Does she even want to?

While this book is the first novel in the series, this isn’t the first story with Mel and some of the other characters. They were first in a novella I haven’t read. And, this is a reminder of why I prefer to read a series in order since I struggled a bit to figure out the various character relationships. Even worse, this novel contains major spoilers for the novella. 

The mystery that we did get here is good. I was intrigued by the premise and kept happily guessing until the end, when Mel reached a logical conclusion. However, I was very confused by the police response to things. You see, the crime that Poppy was being framed for took place over an hour away. So why were the police in town being pressured to solve it? While the same county, wouldn’t it be outside their jurisdiction? It’s quite possible it wasn’t, but it kept bumping me since it was never discussed.

I really did like the characters and the relationships that were forming between them. The suspects were well drawn as well. Mel is finding herself involved in a love triangle, but there is a clear winner as to who she should pick. 

The other thing that bothered me was the foul language. Maybe it was because I was looking for a lighter cozy when I picked it up, but it was excessive for what I wanted to be reading. 

The characters and their relationships made this a fun read, but my other issues kept me from fully enjoying Framed for Murder

Monday, February 3, 2025

Ornament Review: Wrapping Lesson - Making Memories #17 - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Cute ornament of a Christmas memory
Cons: None for me
The Bottom Line:
Wrap up the present
As a child learns from parent
Memorable piece




Lessons Wrapped Up in Fun

I had decided that the Making Memories ornament series from Hallmark was going to be a series I only collected if they appealed to me instead of trying to get them every year.  And, as a result…I went exactly one year without buying the ornaments in the series.  I just couldn’t pass up Wrapping Lesson.

This year, the snowparent is teaching the snowchild how to wrap presents.  They are sitting on the ground with a green present in front of them.  They are working on adding a purple polka dot ribbon to the box.  And their cat is right there next to the box lying on its back.

The scene is just so cute.  I can remember getting lessons on how to best wrap presents as a kid as well.  Not that I wound up really being able to do it.  I’m somewhat better as an adult, but not much.  But that wasn’t because of lack of trying on my parents’ part.

As always, this scene is sitting on top of a snowflake shaped base.  I’ve always loved that touch.  This also means that it sits flat if you want to set it out to be displayed.  Meanwhile, if you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find that it hangs perfectly flat.

And the series number is on the bottom of the ornament.

This series is so cute, that’s it’s hard to resist.  Wrapping Lesson is another perfect example as to why.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Making Memories series.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

February 2nd's Sunday/Monday Post

Another weekend has rolled around, so it's time for a Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It was a fairly quiet week for me.  Which, given the week's we've had so far this year, has been a good thing.  The little bit of rain we got last weekend was enough to get rid of the fire danger, at least for right now.  We've got more rain coming this week, so that should kill the threat of fires until probably late summer or fall.  Yep, they always come back.  Especially here in So Cal.  But usually they aren't this bad.  Hopefully, we don't see anything like the last few weeks for a long time.

In other news, my walking book club finally met again Saturday morning!  We hadn't met since last May.  First, it was because it was so hot during the summer.  Then, just as we were going to pick back up, there was a plumbing issue that caused a flood in the library that hosts it.  They just finally reopened, so we were back.

And yes, that is exactly what it sounds like.  We meet and walk around the neighborhood where the library is.  We talk about the books we've read recently.  Which works well for me since it means I don't have to read a particular book for it.  That's the main reason I haven't joined a more traditional book club.  I have so many books calling my name I'm not sure I want someone else picking some books for me to read.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Ornament Review: Wrapping Lesson
Tuesday - Book Review: Framed for Murder by Marla A. White
Wednesday - Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 4
Thursday - Book Review: Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell
Friday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul

Hold on to your hats.  Have I got a lot of books to tell you about this week.

We'll start off with my Kindle deals.  All of these are currently still showing as deals as of my typing this Saturday night.

Up first is a Freebie.  Appetizers and Alibis is the first in a series from Erica J. Whelton.  I really don't know anything about the series, but it was free and it sounds good.  You can't beat that, right?

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin naturally crossed my radar.  I do love mysteries after all.  I'm not sure if it is something I would have picked up to read, but when the ebook went on sale, I snagged it.

And now for something completely different from me...I also snagged Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree while it was on sale.  I know, a non-mystery.  Of course, I do enjoy fantasy and scifi when I watch it.  As I keep saying, I've fallen into mystery and I can't get out, not that I'm trying that hard.  I'm sure if I read more I'd enjoy it.  I've heard lots of good about this book, so hopefully I will enjoy it.

Up next are two ARCs I got from author Liz Milliron.  She has two books coming out in the next two months.  The first one actually still doesn't have links for preorder even though it it due this week.  There's some kind of communication hick up.  Anyway, that book is The Lies We Live, the sixth in her Homefront Mysteries set in Buffalo during World War II.  In March, we will get Shattered Sight, the first in a new series featuring a detective in Niagara Falls set in the present day.  

Finally, I decided it was a good time to get listening to another audio book, so I went to see what I could get from the library.  I'm back to Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand series with April Fool Dead.  Hard to believe when I finish this one, I'll be half way through the series.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm listening to April Food Dead at the moment.  I've somehow made it 60% into the book already, which is a little hard to believe.  I'm really enjoying it and have no idea where the story is going to go.

I'm also working on Kilned at the Ceramic Shop by Donna Clancy.  This is the first in a series because clearly I don't have enough series going.  I had thought I might get it read this weekend, depending on how much reading time I got in.  Not going to happen.  So I'm aiming to finish it up on Monday at this point.  So far, I am intrigued by the story, but I haven't gotten that far into it.

That's it for me.  Hope you have a great week.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

February 1st's Weekly TV Thoughts

Wipeout – I don’t think I had any teams I expected to win this week.  They all seemed pretty average.  Not in a bad way, but none really stood out as having a better chance than the others.

Poppa’s House – As someone with pet allergies, did Jr. never spend any time around any other dogs?  Because I notice when I’m around a dog for any length of time.  That aside, this was a pretty funny episode.  And dog was amazing at all the stuff it was able to do on cue.

Rescue: HI-Surf – I have not been a fan of the love triangle soap opera.  And it’s just going to drag out.  I mean, I’m glad he got caught and isn’t going to get away with it.  But seriously, can this just be done already?  Oh, and the rope was horrid, too.  That was an image I didn’t need.

Night Court – Fun episode.  A bit too crazy, which is saying something for any sitcom, but overall, it worked for me.  I liked the dynamics they had with the characters they put together.  Although Wendie Malick is killing it no matter who she is working with.  I was expecting her to up the show, and she’s been doing a great job with it.

Deal or No Deal Island – Wow!  I sure thought the odds were not in his favor, but he kept going and proved me wrong.  That was the only way he could have stayed in the game, too.  They had both the highest and lowest case be chosen so far this season, which is pretty wacky.  Seeing how things progress going forward will be interesting.  Battle lines are definitely being drawn.

Shifting Gears – Really great episode.  They managed to be funny while hitting on a serious topic.  And it didn’t feel at all cheap.  I really am loving this show.

The Challenge – You know that feeling when you jump into something in the middle and really are struggling to keep up?  That’s how I felt with this episode.  Not only do I not have the context for who all these people are and their rivalries, but my DVR didn’t record it, so I only caught part of the episode.  Not being familiar with this all stars format, I’m curious how things are going to progress as the season goes on.

Happy’s Place – Yes, I guessed where portions of the episode were going, but there were still some things that took me by surprise.  And overall?  It was so much fun.  Several great lines and some sight gags.  Very well done.

Friday, January 31, 2025

January 2025's Reading Summary

We are already through the first month of 2025.  Kind of crazy, isn't it?  Time to take a look back at what I read in January.

And yes, the index is up to date!  (Finally!!)



All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).  The links will take you to my full review.

 

Gilt Trip by Diane Vallere (Samantha Kidd #14) – 5

Samantha Kidd’s husband, Nick Taylor, is up for an award, and Samantha is doing all she can to support him.  Unfortunately, her efforts to get a table for family and friends at the awards banquet have turned out to be filled with people who are angry with her for one reason or another.  But the evening takes a horrible turn when Samantha finds the body of the toastmaster in a closet of the hotel where the event is being held.  With a blizzard keeping the police from arriving, Samantha must try to solve the crime.  Can she do it?

This book is fun since it all takes place in one night.  In lesser hands that could have been a bad thing, but in this case, it worked well.  I was engaged the entire time and kept guessing until we reached the logical climax.  Yet we still got plenty of time for the subplots to play out.  We still see plenty of the regulars, and I liked the growth we saw in Samantha.  We also go plenty of laughs and discussion of junk food.  If you want a light mystery, this series is definitely for you.  And if you are a fan who hasn’t gotten to this book yet, you are in for a treat when you do.

 

Hired Guns by Steve Hockensmith (Double-A Western Detective Agency #1) – 4

This book finds a trio of Army friends turned adventurers heading to the Arizona Territory to help out a struggling copper mine.  No, it’s not to help them with the mining.  The conglomerate Consolidated American Mining Corporation has decided it wants to buy this particular mine, and they are doing all they can to convince the owners to sell.  There’s just one major problem – the owners don’t want to sell.  And our trio of heroes have been hired to help protect the mine.  But against the overwhelming odds, can they do it?

These characters began life in the author’s Holmes on the Range series, and I was happy to follow them over here.  The story started a bit slowly, but it isn’t long before the action heats up as the characters find themselves facing overwhelming odds.  Yet, I found myself cheering at the end.  To be clear, this is more of an action story than a mystery.  The characters are a bit thin, but they do have their moments to shine.  The reality of racial relations in 1894 is part of the backdrop of the book, and it’s sad to think we ever treated each other this badly.  The book is a bit more violent than I normally like, but only a little bit.  It is softened some by the humor.  If you are looking for an action book set in the old west, you’ll find this the perfect book to pick up.

 

Rivers and Creaks by Marc Jedel (Redwood Country Mysteries #1) – 3

Andy Shirley and his late wife had planned to run a bed and breakfast in Monte Rio after they retired.  Now that the time has come, he has to take it on by himself.  While he’s been figuring out how to be a good host, something that doesn’t come naturally to him, he runs into a problem he wasn’t expecting – murder.  When he takes over the business, there is a wedding party staying there, and one of the bridesmaids has been killed.  Can he solve the crime, or will it destroy his business?

This author has been on my radar to try for a while, and I finally got a chance with this book.  Sadly, the results were mixed for me.  I grew up near where this book is set, so I enjoyed that aspect of things.  However, the plot was uneven, with as much focus on Andy settling into his new life as the murder.  This led to a weak climax that at least did answer our questions.  Meanwhile, Andy was a bit pricklier that I found enjoyable.  I get it, but it took a while to warm up to him.  Some of that came from the new relationships he is forming, and I enjoyed reading about those.  I also enjoyed the humor of the book.  I’d give a second book in this series a try, but I hope the issues with the first are ironed out.

 

The Sinister Sitcom Caper by Sally Carpenter (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mysteries #2) – 4

Next up on Sandy Fairfax’s attempt to restart his career is a guest spot on a sitcom.  It’s not one of the popular sitcoms of 1993 but a low rated show that might be canceled.  Still, a job is a job.  Unfortunately, the tension on set is thick, and it leads to murder.  With no one interested in investigating, Sandy starts to nose around.  Can he figure out what happened?

Since I enjoyed meeting Sandy in book one, I was looking forward to spending more time with him.  I wasn’t disappointed.  While the sitcom setting does not provide the laugh a minute laughs you would get from a good sitcom, there are still some laughs and smiles.  The mystery kept me guessing and reached a logical conclusion, but I would have liked to know how Sandy reached it.  I loved getting to know him better, which was helped by the fact that he was home for this book.  The rest of the cast was great as well.  I’ll definitely be back to spend more time with him soon.

 

Welcome Home to Murder by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #1) – 4

Tessa Treslow left her hometown in Idaho as soon as she graduated from high school.  She’s now spent over twenty years in the army and is ready to retire.  Since she still doesn’t know what she is going to do with the rest of her life, she agrees to return to New Oslo for an extended visit.  While reuniting with her parents and aunt, she senses that there is something they are keeping from her.  But she learns more in the more horrific way when she and her aunt find a dead body in the garage her aunt runs.  The police, in the form of Tessa’s high school boyfriend, feel that her family has the perfect motive.  Can Tessa figure out what really happened?

This series debut has been on my radar for a while, and I’m glad I finally got to pick it up.  It has some twists on the familiar cozy tropes, and I enjoyed those.  There is a depth to the characters I appreciated, and I also liked that we got details about Tessa and the others over the course of the book without any data dumps.  The mystery had a few pacing issues in the middle, but overall, it was good with plenty of red herrings and a logical climax.  I’m looking forward to seeing what else Tessa can find in her hometown.

 

Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (Phyllida Bright #1) – 4

Agatha Christie and her second husband, Max Mallowan, are throwing a house party when an unexpected guest arrives in the middle of a summer storm.  The man says he is a reporter who has an interview lined up with the famous author.  While Agatha doesn’t remember it, she instructs Phyllida Bright, her housekeeper, to set him up in one of the guest rooms, at least for tonight.  But the next morning, Phyllida finds the man dead in the library.  She doesn’t think the police are up to solving the crime, so she jumps in to find a few clues for them.  But who was the victim?  And who would want to kill him?

Fans of Agatha Christie will get a kick out of the wink and nods in the set up.  But everyone will be hooked on this mystery, which had the clues and red herrings well layered to keep me guessing until the ending.  While we got to know Phyllida and a few other characters well, I did feel like we got too much of her thoughts, which slowed things down and kept us from getting to know the suspects better.  Only a handful of scenes were told from someone other than Phyllida’s point of view, but when it happened, it always made sense.  And one of those scenes was absolutely perfect that way.  While current events don’t play a big part in this 1930’s set book, it does give us a clear picture of what life was like for servants during that time.  I’m hoping to get to the next book soon.

 

Stuff to Spy For by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #3) – 3

When Skip Moore lands a sale for a company looking to upgrade their security system, he thinks he’s finally made the big time. He even gets his best friend, James Lessor, a job on the installation team. Then Skip is offered a couple of extra assignments with big paydays. What could possibly go wrong? A suspicious death for starters. Then there are things that aren’t adding up, and evidence that someone is spying on them. Can the pair figure out what is going on?

This series is a mixed bag for me, and this book was no exception. I appreciate the friendship between Skip and James, but the ideas and James leads them into make me smack my head sometimes. I appreciate some of the humor, but other bits make me cringe. The plot was compelling, but the ending was rushed. And a key scene makes little sense (why are the characters there?). Then there’s also the needless tease in the opening. Yet, I plan to keep going forward with this series. If you pick the book up, keep in mind that it came out in 2009, which explains some of the dated technology. If the premise sounds interesting pick up the series. Otherwise, you can skip them. 

 

Fatal Reunion by Annette Dashofy (Zoe Chambers #11) – 5

When a missing high school teen’s body is found in a remote area of the county, Zoe Chambers Adams has flashbacks to her senior year of high school.  There are too many similarities to three teen girls who were killed all those years ago.  Back then, the police had a suspect, but he committed suicide before he was charged.  The killings stopped, so everyone moved on.  While Zoe’s new husband, Police Chief Pete Adams, is busy looking at modern suspects and motives for the death, Zoe can’t help but wonder if a killer has been roaming free all these years.  And, with her twentieth high school reunion happening, she’s wondering if the killer is in town for the event.  Is what is happening today tied into what happened two decades ago?

This is another excellent book in this series.  As always, Zoe and Pete share the third person narration, and that gives us insight into the characters and story.  It’s great to spend time with the returning characters, and the new ones are just as well drawn.  The plot grabs you from the beginning and keeps you engaged until you reach the satisfying solution.  These books are not cozies, so pick them up expecting something darker, and you’ll be fine.  I’m hoping to get to the next two books in this series soon.  If you are looking for fantastic mysteries, you won’t be disappointed you met Zoe.

 

Written in Blood by Sheila Lowe (Claudia Rose #2) – 2

When hand writing expert Claudia Rose takes on a case for recent widow Paige Sorensen verifying her late husband’s signature, Claudia doesn’t expect anything beyond the court case.  But she gets pulled into Paige’s world, including the fighting with her step children and the happenings at the school where Paige is headmistress.  But when two people go missing from the school, Claudia wonders what is really happening.  Can she figure things out?

I enjoyed the first in the series enough to pick up this book, but I didn’t enjoy this book at all.  Yes, some of it was the content in the Kindle version I purchased last year.  There was more language, violence, and other stuff that made it hard for me to really enjoy the book.  Plus, the mystery really took too long to get going.  When we reached the climax, too much was thrown at us without truly explaining why or how it was happening that way.  And, I feel like some of the things at the end contradicted the facts we’d gotten earlier in the story.  On the other hand, I did like Claudia as a character.  I’m not sure that will be enough to pull me further into the series even though I’ve already purchased some of the books.