February 2023's Reading Summary

For a short month, I sure got a lot of books read, right?  Actually, as usual, these are the books I posted reviews for, and I got a lot of reading done on my trip in January.  I just posted the reviews this month, so the list looks big.

On the other hand, I read more middle of the road books than I'm used to in February.  It's kind of funny that they hit me all at once like that.

I did get the index updated this month!

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

Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron (Vintage Cookbook Mysteries #2) – 5

Ricki James-Diaz is on hand when a great discovery is made at Bon Vee - crates of a valuable and old wine. The hope is that they can sell it to raise much needed money. However, the discovery starts bringing long lost relatives to New Orleans. When one of them turns up dead, Ricki jumps in to figure out what is really going on. Can she solve the case?

It was great to be visiting these characters again. I enjoyed the growth that Ricki and several of the other characters, both new and old, got here. Yes, we do see more from the cliffhanger at the end of book one here, and I loved how it contributed to the story in this book. The plot took a bit of time to set up before the murder took place, but that time wasn’t wasted. We had lots going on to keep us engaged on the way to the great finale. The author’s love of New Orleans comes through on every page without slowing things down. There are five recipes at the end adapted from vintage cookbooks. This is a fun second book in a delightful series. 

Note: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn – 4

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have spent their lives working as assassins for a super-secret organization that calls itself the Museum. They have had a successful career individually and as a team, but they are ready to retire now. However, the cruise that the Museum sends them on turns out to be a trap. Now they have to wonder who is out to kill them. And why. 

I’ve been hearing good things about this book, so I went in looking forward to it. And I did enjoy it. It reads like an action movie, and there were plenty of scenes that had me turning pages. However, it could have been stronger, with another few twists and turns and slightly stronger characters. The book fits in the action genre in that regard, right? It does have more language and violence than I typically read. It also has plenty that made me smile and laugh as I was reading. Most of the book is written in first person past tense, but we a few chapters flash back to the past and they are written in third person present tense. While I didn’t think this book was quite as good as many others seemed to, I definitely enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it. 

 

Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings (Dear Miss Hermione Mysteries #1) – 4

Violet Manville is shocked when her aunt tells her she writes the popular Miss Hermione advice column and then tells Violet that she is in charge of the column while she goes off to the continent. Among the first letters Violet receives is one from a young woman who thinks someone is trying to kill her. When Violet goes to try to help, she interrupts the woman’s funeral. Can Violet figure out what is happening?

I thought the first in this new series, set in Victoria England, sounded like fun. I am glad I picked it up because I was right. The characters are good, although Violet’s half-sister can be a bit shallow. I suspect that is on purpose, however. We do get a few scenes from her point of view, but the switch is always obvious. The plot is lots of fun and plenty to keep us engaged. I did feel Violet made a leap at the end, but the solution was logical. If you are looking for a fun premise for a new series, this is one to check out. I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. 

Note: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox (True Confections Mysteries #1) – 3

Becca Ransom has returned home to Larch Haven, Vermont, and has taken over the chocolate making in her family’s chocolate shop.  She is loving being around her family and friends again, but she isn’t as happy to see that Archie Smith is still being obnoxious in town, opposing just about everything.  When he is found floating in the canals in town, everyone is shocked to learn it is murder.  When Becca’s grandfather becomes the prime suspect, can Becca figure out what really happened?

I’ve been wanting to try a book by this author for a while, so I figured the start of a new series was the perfect time to do that.  Plus, I can’t resist a chocolate theme.  That aspect made me drool.  However, the mystery could have been stronger.  We got more theorizing than clue gathering, although Becca did still reach a logical solution.  Speaking of Becca, I really appreciated how mature she was, realizing her own fault in one particular sub-plot.  And I loved her and the rest of the regulars.  Likewise, the setting in fantastic – I’d go visit in a heartbeat if it were real.  While I wish the plot were stronger, I’m planning to visit again when the sequel comes out.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

What the Cluck? It’s Murder! by Jacqueline Vick (Frankie Chandler Pet Psychic Mysteries #4) – 4

Frankie and her boyfriend are getting away for a long weekend so that Frankie can meet a few of Martin’s older sisters, the women who raised him. However, trying to make a good impression isn’t the only thing that Frankie has to worry about when she and Martin find a dead farm hand near the chicken coop. With the evidence pointing to one of Martin’s sisters, Frankie and Martin have to team up to figure out what is going on. Can they do it?

Yes, this is one of the few paranormal series I read, and I find the premise very fun. I was happy with how quickly I was able to keep the sisters and their families straight. I’m sure it helped that we weren’t meeting all of them. Since Frankie and Martin are the only returning characters, they got plenty of time to grow, and I love what we saw, especially from Martin. We get plenty of fun, especially with Frankie trying to read animals, although they did give us one scene I found tasteless. There are a few timeline glitches, but they were more annoying than anything else. The plot fights with family dynamics a time or two for dominance, but there are some fun surprises on the way to a suspenseful ending. All told, this is another fun book if you are looking for something different. 

 

Bastille Vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson (Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarians #6) – 5

This book opens right where the previous one ended.  That means Alcatraz is dressed in a tux tied to an altar of outdated encyclopedias in the Highbrary having just experienced two horrific personal losses.  That’s when Bastille finally wakes up from her coma and comes rushing in to try to save the day.  But with the leader of the librarians on his way to enact his evil plan half way around the world, can anyone stop him?  Especially since Alcatraz doesn’t seem to have it in him to fight any more.

I am so glad this middle grade fantasy book finally came out so we could have a proper conclusion to the series.  If you are new, don’t jump in here but start at the beginning so you won’t be confused, but those who are fans will be properly rewarded.  We have all the same action, humor, and craziness we’ve come to expect.  This book does deal with the dark ending of the previous book, and I appreciated how it did that, including the growth it gave us in Alcatraz and Bastille.  The rest of the characters are entertaining.  And I mentioned the action right?  There were so many twists and so much danger I had a hard time putting the book down.  I definitely feel like the wait to find out what happened was worth it.

 

It Takes Two to Mango by Carrie Doyle (Trouble in Paradise! #1) – 3

Plum Lockhart has lost her job at a travel magazine, so she reluctantly takes a job arranging vacation rentals at a resort in the Caribbean. However, her new co-worker is a jerk, and she struggls to get her first booking. When she does, tragedy strikes when one of the guests is found dead by the pool. Did Plum make the right decision by moving?

When this book begins, Plum is extremely unlikable, so much so that I almost put the book down about 30 pages in. Even when she arrives on the island, she doesn’t give up her ego and entitled attitude. The other characters we meet started pulling me in, both the ones I liked and the ones I didn’t. When the murder kicks in, I really got into the story, which had some good twists. I loved the resort setting. The expected character growth was good as well. I’m actually surprised based on my initial reaction, but I am planning to continue the series. If the setting appeals to you, consider starting this series. Just be prepared for how obnoxious Plum is at the beginning. 

 

Stuff Dreams Are Made of by Don Bruns (Stuff Series #2) – 3

Skip Lesser and James Moore have renovated James’s truck to use it to serve food at the revival meetings being help by Reverend Cashdollar. They quickly start to hear rumors of several deaths connected to this ministry, including someone Skip met 10 years ago. Will they figure out what is going on over the course of the weekend?

Obviously, this “reverend” is not preaching anything I would consider Biblical, and I appreciated the fact that I never got the feeling anyone was taking it seriously as such. While this set up might sound like it, this isn’t a cozy, with a liberal amount of foul language and a bit more violence. The pacing was very uneven, with some page turning twists and suspenseful scenes being slowed down by lots of recaps and talking. Still, I do like Skip and James and their struggles with life in general. I don’t think this will be a favorite series, but I’m glad I am finally getting to book two. 

 

Murder on Wall Street by Victoria Thompson (Gaslight Mysteries #24) – 5

Frank Malloy might not normally take on the case of investment banker Hayden Norcross, but when a friend hires him to look into it, Frank can hardly refuse.  Hayden was shot in his office after hours, and the list of possible suspects in long.  Enlisting the help of his wife, Sarah, and her parents, Frank must navigate society and the world of finance to figure out what happened.  Working together, can they do it?

This book is a perfect example of why I love this series so much.  All the regulars and supporting players are here and in top form.  There were a couple of moments that were absolutely special for those who really know the characters.  The plot was complex and kept me guessing right up to the page turning and fun ending.  While the book does take on some serious subjects, it balances those with humor, mainly the interactions of the regular characters.  The time period also comes to wonderful life.  If you are a fan who hasn’t read this book yet, you will be in for a treat.

 

Life on the Mississippi by Rinker Buck – 3

Journalist Rinker Buck decided to take his love for the flat boats of the 1800’s and make that his next trip into America’s past.  He has one built for himself and sets out to sail it down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.  Along the way, he studies up on this part of American history.  How will his journey go?

The idea of a trip like this appealed to me, so I sat down to read this with high hopes.  Sadly, it wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped it would be, mostly thanks for things the author put in he didn’t need to.  There was more history than I was expecting; I was expecting more of a travelogue.  That’s on me, although I did find much of this interesting if a little too long.  However, I didn’t need all the biographical sketches about Rinker.  I feel like some of that was his grieving process over having recently lost his mother.  It would make for good reading, but in a different book.  He also seemed to want to inject politics into the book where it didn’t need to be, and his attitude was very smug when this came up, even condescending at times.  However, when he was actually describing the river and talking about what it took to navigate it, I was enthralled.  I never thought about what it would take.  The stories about some of the people he met along the way were good as well.  The end result was a mixed bag.

 

Charred by G. P. Gottlieb (Whipped and Sipped Café Mysteries #3) – 3

This book opens in May 2020 and finds Alene Baron trying to keep her café in Chicago opened with a reduced staff and takeout or delivery only.  Things are complicated when her long lost uncle returns to town and wants to connect with his brother, Alene’s father.  Oh, and there are bodies turning up in burned out buildings owned by Alene’s best friend’s husband.

Since this is the third book in the series, I like the characters.  That helped me get on board with the story that is truly the main story in the book, not the mystery that you’d expect in a culinary cozy.  While I enjoyed the real main story, that backwards emphasis bothered me, especially how the story of the burned out buildings was resolved.  I’m not sure I was ready to read a book set during the pandemic, but the book does a good job of capturing how everyone was feeling about life then.  However, it introduces the riots before the event that triggered them happened in real life.  The end result was only average.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

City of the Dead by James Ponti (City Spies #4) – 5

As this book opens, the team has been tasked with breaking into the British Museum and retrieving a couple of items from their exhibit on Egypt.  These are sensitive items that the government doesn’t want to officially ask for back and doesn’t want to admit they even have.  But the mission is not all it appears to be.  What will happen when the team learns the truth?

Yes, I’m being vague in my teaser, but this is definitely a case where the fun comes in seeing how the plot evolves, so I’m giving as few spoilers as I can.  There are plenty of twists that had me turning pages as fast as I could.  I will say a matter of trust was resolved a little too easily for me to buy, but it was minor.  As always, I love the characters, and I love watching their relationships.  The growth here is great.  We still get some laughs along with the adventure, too.  The cliffhanger is going to make the wait for the next book even harder.  Fans young and old will be delighted with this book.

 

Secrets and Scents by Lyn Perry (Book and Candle Shop Mysteries #1) – 4

Best friends Kelli and Jo are thrilled that the opening day for their new book and candle shop, Reading Makes Scents, is finally here.  However, the celebration hits a bad note before it can even get started when Kelli finds a stranger unconscious in their storage area.  Who is he?  Why was he attacked?  Does it have anything to do with the prophecy they found weeks before in their building?

While I normally skip paranormal themed stories, I made an exception here, and I’m glad I did.  It does employ a narrative technique I dislike (early multi-chapter flashbacks), bet there is a good story here.  I got quite caught up in it near the end, in fact.  The story is a bit different from what I normally read, but it worked well.  The paranormal elements are light, and they are a fun addition to the story.  I loved Kelli, Jo, and their love interests.  The rest of the cast are fun as well, and the town where the action takes place was delightful.  The book is on the short side, so keep that in mind.  As a bonus, there’s a recipe at the end.  If you are looking for something light and fun, this book is for you.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.