Book Review: The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala by Laura DiSilverio (Book Club Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful character in strong mystery

Cons: Cons have been banished to an old, mysterious, remote castle

The Bottom Line:

Reading gothic book

Modern murder at gala

Fantastic cozy

Gothic Authors and Murder

I fell in love with the Readaholics the first time I met them.  This group of women are just so much fun!  They are back in The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala, and it’s another winner.

If you haven’t met the group, the Readaholics are a book club that focuses on mysteries.  While they read a wide variety, we seem to join them for classic mysteries which have a bearing on the mysteries that they find themselves involved in.  Amy-Faye Johnson is our main characters, and she’s an even planner in their town of Heaven, Colorado.

As this book opens, Amy-Faye is getting ready for a Celebration of Gothic Novels that the local book store is hosting in honor of the 100^th birthday of author Mary Stewart, one of the giants in the field.  Three authors have come in to participate, and the day includes a talk and book signing, auction, and a costume ball that evening.  The Readaholics are getting into the spirit by reading Daphne Du Maurier’s classic Rebecca.

The day is mostly successful with only a couple of hitches along the way, but nothing that Amy-Faye can’t handle.  All that changes as the dance is drawing to a close.  That’s when a dead body is discovered.  The victim is a stranger, but someone that Amy-Faye had noticed hanging around the events all day.  Since the murder weapon was part of one of the Readaholic’s costumes, the group springs into action to found out what happened.  But who was the victim?  And who would have motive to kill this stranger?

What I love about this series is how each of the Readaholics get involved in the mystery.  Amy-Faye might be our main character, but all five of the women are given their moment to shine.  That’s the case here again as they investigate the latest case.  All of the characters are strong, and it’s easy to keep them all straight.  Meanwhile, we see some growth in the women.  I did miss Amy Faye’s family, who weren’t around as much as in the past, but that’s a minor complaint.  Any more of them would have just slowed the book down anyway.

And there really wasn’t much to slow down the story.  We get a few mysterious events before the body shows up, and then it’s clues and surprises until we reach the logical yet surprising end.  The suspects are all strong characters with valid motives which makes the mystery more fun.

Unlike the first two in the series, I had not read Rebecca before picking up this book.  I tried; it just didn’t happen.  Over the course of this book, there are some discussions of that classic novel.  It’s enough that anything I needed to know because it provided a clue to this story was explained to me.  Unfortunately, that does mean some events of the classic are spoiled.  I’m not surprised, and at this point, that’s certainly on me.  Just be aware of that if you care before picking up this book.

But you’ll definitely want to pick up this book.  The Readaholics and the Gothic Gala is another fantastic read with characters you can’t help but love.  Heck, if this book club were real, I’d jump at a chance to join.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Tuesday, August 16th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 8/16.  You will have until midnight on 8/21 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 8/22.

TV Show Review: Supergirl - Season 1

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Action with a charming superheroine

Cons: It’s a couple episodes before the show completely takes off

The Bottom Line:

Superhero show

Filled with charming characters

Plenty of action

Look, Up in the Sky It’s…a Girl!

Since I’ve become hooked on Arrow and The Flash, I knew I’d be watching Supergirl when it debuted last fall.  No, it wasn’t an official spin off of those two shows, but it was from the same creator/writer/producer team.  How could I pass that up?  And I’m not surprised at all that I found season 1, well, super.

This version of the character focuses on Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist).  She was sent from Krypton as a young teen to watch over her famous cousin, but she got trapped in the prison Fort Rozz and arrived on Earth years later after Superman was well known.  She was taken in by the Danvers family and raised, hiding her powers.  She outs herself in the pilot when she rescues her sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) from a plane crash.

And suddenly Kara begins to take on the same struggle as her cousin.  She tries to balance her day job as assistant to media mogul Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) with her new responsibilities of saving the world.  As Supergirl, she starts working with Alex, who works for a top secret government organization that fights aliens.  Their boss there is Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), a friend of their father.  Meanwhile, at CatCo, there is a new photographer, James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks).  Yes, THAT James Olsen, who not only knows Superman, but knows who he is.  Then there is tech guy Winn (Jeremy Jordan) who has had a crush on Kara for years.

Kara’s coming out has happened just as a bunch of the villains who had been trapped in the Fort Rozz with Kara begin to emerge and cause trouble.  Kara has been so used to hiding her powers that she doesn’t quite know how to use them all.  Plus, one of the villains she must face is her aunt Asta (Laura Benanti).  With larger dangers lurking, can Kara embrace her powers to save her home of National City?

I must admit this show didn’t grab me in the first couple of episodes like I expected it to.  The show seemed to take a couple of episodes to truly find its legs and to give up on the female empowerment speeches.  Yes, we have a female superhero who can do everything Superman can do.  We get it.   Just show us.  But once they did, I began to truly enjoy this show.

And once again, it is the characters that drew me in week after week.  Kara is the perfect mix of strong and vulnerable, and her friends truly do help her on her new missions.  I love that team work.  Having said that, the real heart of the show is Kara’s relationship with her sister.  The scenes between Kara and Alex are something special.  I did feel that Cat was a bit over the top for too long in her Devil Wears Prada persona, but that was a minor issue.

The villain of the week stories are a bit familiar, especially if you like the other shows.  We meet a villain when they cause problems.  Kara faces them and is defeated.  She and her team come up with a way to face the villain and track him or her down a second time to save the day.  And yet I keep watching because it still works.  This is a fun, light show, and I like that.

Plus there are several ongoing stories that kept me coming back week after week.  Yes, there is more than one season long arc weaving their way into and out of the episodes.  They aren’t all in every episode, and the show does a wonderful job of mixing them all together in a way that hooks the viewer without ever confusing us.  Trust me, you are in for some fun twists and surprises before the season is over.

Being Supergirl, this show requires a ton of special effects, more than on the other shows, and on a TV budget.  They absolutely work.  In fact, I never found anything to distract me from the fun of the show.

And the acting is top notch.  Everyone is clearly having fun working together, and it comes together in the performances.  It is a joy to watch this team in action each week.  Whether it is action, light comedy, or character scenes, the actors nail it each week.  I was especially happy to see Mehcad here.  I had liked him in Necessary Roughness even though I didn’t always like his character.  I really like seeing him here in a part I can get behind completely.  In the fun stunt casting department, Kara’s human parents are played by Dean Cain, Superman on the 90’s Lois and Clark, and Helen Slater, the star of the 80’s movie version of Supergirl.

This show aired on CBS for this season, yet there was still a crossover with The Flash which, like the rest of this DCverse, aired on the CW this season.  Sadly, they used the happenings on The Flash to establish that this was a different Earth than the one for that show.  Yet when Barry Allan appears on this show, it was wonderfully fun.  The show has been picked up by the CW for this season, and they are promising it will be included in a massive crossover event this upcoming season.  I can NOT wait!

Season one consisted of 20 episodes, and they are all here in this set in their native wide screen and full surround sound.  Extras include the ComicCon panel from 2015 that introduced the show and the actors, a look at one of the characters (I’m being vague to avoid spoilers), a look at Krypton, and the standard gag reel and deleted scenes.

Season 1 of Supergirl took a couple of episodes to truly find it’s rhythm, but once it did, it became a delightful part of my Monday nights.  If you missed it, use this set to fix that today so you are ready when season 2 rolls around.

Season 1 Episodes:

1. Pilot

2. Stronger Together

3. Fight of Flight

4. Livewire

5. How Does She Do It?

6. Red Faced

7. Human for a Day

8. Hostile Takeover

9. Blood Bonds

10. Childish Things

11. Strange Visitor From Another Planet

12. Bizarro

13. For the Girl Who Has Everything

14. Truth, Justice, and the American Way

15. Solitude

16. Falling

17. Manhunter

18. Worlds Finest

19. Myriad

20. Better Angels

Book Review: Race for the Park Street Treasure by Sigmund Brouwer (Accidental Detectives #9)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun characters, great mystery and themes

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Hunting a treasure

Ricky and friends entertain

All mystery fans

Where Did Moth-Wallet Bugsby Hide His Fortune?

It’s been several years since I’ve read an Accidental Detective book and even more since I read the series for the first time.  I have such fond memories of the books that I was glad to revisit them with Race for the Park Street Treasure, and it was an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

This middle grade mystery series focuses on Ricky Kidd and his friends Mike Andrews, Ralphy Zee, and Lisa Higgins.  While many of their adventures take them all over the country, this one finds them in their hometown of Jamesville.  But there’s plenty of excitement to be had there, since several books are set there.

And this time, the excitement starts in an unlikely place – the library basement.  Ricky is down there sorting through really old books in order to pay off his community service debt due to a “science experiment” gone horribly, horribly wrong.  (It’s Mike’s fault, really.)  Hidden in one of the books, he finds what looks like a treasure map.  There is a legend in town that Fred Bugsby, the richest man in town and a well-known miser, hid most of his fortune before he died years ago, and Ricky thinks he’s found the map.

Unfortunately, the word about Ricky’s find and the map itself gets out (again thanks to Mike).  Now Ricky and his friends are in a race to find the treasure.  Can they figure out where the map leads?  Will they find fortune?  Or will they find nothing but greed?

There are many reasons I loved these books when I read them as a college student originally, and they are still there no matter how many times I reread them.  Up first are the characters.  While they might rarely show it, they have some hidden depths to them that we get to see.  Ricky is the best developed since he is our first person narrator, but we can see there is more to the rest of the cast at various times in the books.  This development goes to the adults and the characters brought in for this book as well.

Then there are the plots.  I’ve read the books two or three times each now, so I remember most of the big brush strokes.  Still, I get caught up in the events as they unfold and love watching Ricky piece everything together.  The clues are all there, but they are hidden in plain sight, so you never know what it means until Ricky figures it out.

Plus the books are just plain fun.  Ricky, Mike, and Ralphy are always teasing each other.  They try to act tough around Lisa, but she’s always showing them up.  Then there’s Ricky’s younger brother Joel who pops up at the worst possible moment for the best comedic effect.

Yet when the book gets serious, it works.  This series was written for the Christian market, so there are Biblical lessons in the books.  However, they never preach.  In fact, I often find myself caring about these sub-plots or scenes as much as I do the main mystery.

Now I know it sounds like I’m talking about the series in general here, and in some ways I am.  However, this book is a perfect example of all I’ve talked about.  The plot is strong, the characters are fun, and you’ll laugh on one page and think the next.

The series has been in print twice, but it is currently out of print again.  Well, they are available as ebooks only, but if you like having a physical book, getting a copy will take a little work.  They are worth tracking down, so do it today.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who loves a good mystery, be they the target audience or not.  Trust me, you’ll race through Race for the Park Street Treasure and be anxious for more.

Looking for more?  Here are the Accidental Detectives mysteries in order.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

August 6th's Weekly TV Thoughts

I watched a lot of TV this week.  A lot, as you are about to see for yourself.  Most of it was this weekend, but still, yikes!

The next couple of weeks will be busy with TV as well.  I won't be commenting on it, but I am looking forward to the Olympics.  But it looks like American Ninja Warrior will be the only show not on the air during that time, so somehow I will have to work the rest of my shows in during the Olympics.  Fortunately, I don't have that many shows on right now.  I'm thinking watch them the next night before the Olympics coverage begins, but we'll see how that works out for me.

Rush Hour (7/23) – I’m so glad they are burning off the episodes of this show.  Really good episode.  The comedy was only grin worthy as usual, but the final fight scene was fun and creative, and that last scene with Baker was so touching.

American Ninja Warrior (7/25) – Once again, I only got part of the program because of the convention.  Granted, I got ¾ of it, but still, what’s with this news stuff.  Don’t people know my shows are more important than actual news that affects our lives?  (Yes, that is sarcasm.)  I made it far enough to see Meghan qualify (I would have been furious if I didn’t) and Brian and Ian both make it.  Pretty impressed by everyone I saw.

Angie Tribecca (7/25) – So Angie’s in on the conspiracy now.  Very interesting.  I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.  I certainly wasn’t expecting a conspiracy theory on this show.

Dead of Summer (7/26) – Okay, I’m definitely more intrigued.  What is the Tall Man’s deal?  Why Amy?  Why is he communicating with the people he is and making them crazy in the process?  And why kill someone else if he wants Amy dead?  Why couldn’t someone else do it?  Still not sure I would be back for a second season, but I’m very intrigued by this one.

Scream (7/26) – So it appears the killer is a guy this time.  At least that’s what they want us to think.  But who could it be?  I can certainly see Emma’s reaction to things.  Not that she’s right, but I understand it completely.  And is Noah doomed?  He of all people should have known better than to do that!

Suits (7/27) – I knew they were going to get Mike out early, so I was wondering how they were going to go about it.  But I don’t want him to turn on his roommate!  And what will they do with him when he gets out?  Loved Rachel’s actions in her class.  Louis is always fun when frustrated, so I enjoyed that as well.

Rush Hour (7/30) – I was sure that the missing girl was dead, so I was very pleasantly surprised by the ending.  Okay, they’d hinted at it early on, but still.  And the captain got a little something to do this week, although that wig on her was awful.  No offense to the actress, but she really doesn’t seem to fit into the show.

American Ninja Warrior (8/1) – I’m torn.  It’s always hard when the people you’ve rooted for and watched season after season don’t make it.  Yet I like to see the new faces make it as well.  It would be boring for everyone if the same people went year after year.  Still, it’s so hard when the old favorites don’t make it.  So hard.

Angie Tribecca (8/1) – A cliffhanger of sorts?  No, I don’t think that Angie is planning to kill the mayor, but I’m wondering what she is up to.  She definitely didn’t seem to mind being framed.  So who really did commit the crime?  It’s looking like Eddie, but who knows if that will stick or not.

Dead of Summer (8/2) – When you are dealing with the supernatural, don’t use more supernatural.  That map intrigues for sure, now that we’ve got it figured out.  And Blotter is definitely dead.  I’d assumed he was, but I wasn’t completely sure.  So who is helping them out?

Scream (8/2) – I suspected Zoe was dead as soon as she showed an interest in Noah episodes ago.  Come on, that was an obvious one.  But now we know why they showed a preview of the killer stabbing Noah last week – it happened at the beginning of the episode.  I’ve said it before and I will say it again, this killer is seriously twisted.  But what might the past have to do with it now and with Emma and Audrey?  That’s what I’m trying to figure out.  The theory that this season’s killer was working with Piper last year certainly makes sense, including the time that Piper was attacked.  I certainly didn’t see Audrey involved in that.  So is the killer someone from last season?  Or is it one of the new characters and they just were hiding in the background last season?

Suits (8/3) – Anyone surprised that Mike wound up taking the deal. Yeah, I didn’t think so.  Still, it will probably take until the end of this half of the season for him to be able to pull it off.  So about six more episodes or so.  I’m glad that Jessica stepped in and got the traders to back off of Louis.  I like it when someone gives him a hard time, but too much and I start to feel sorry for him.

Movie Review: Minions

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs, Minions, and laughs at Minions

Cons: Plot is weak.  But did I mention laughs and Minions?

The Bottom Line:

Minions on their own

Prove they can carry a film

That’s filled with laughter

The Minions Take Over the World (or at Least a Movie)

Anyone who has seen either of the Despicable Me movies knows about the Minions.  They are those scene stealing little yellow guys who mumble mostly unintelligibly and provide many laughs.  Because of how hugely popular they are, I wasn’t surprised when it was announced they were going to get their own movie.  Yet I worried that they wouldn’t be able to star in a film.  After all, we really can’t understand what they are saying.  I needed not have worried.

The movie starts way back in time when the Minions land on Earth and immediately begin searching for the biggest, baddest, most evil person on the planet to serve.  After several disasters, they retreat to a cave in the ice to live.  However, when they get bored, Kevin hatches a plan to go forth and find them a new boss.  Along with Stewart and Bob, he sets off to do just that.

When the trio hear about Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), they think they’ve found the perfect new boss.  She’s the world’s first female supervillain pushing boundaries for the 1960’s.  To prove themselves to her, she asks the trio to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London.  With some gadgets provided by her husband Herb (Jon Hamm), what could possibly go wrong?

This movie is set in the 1968, and honestly, that is part of the charm.  We get some wonderful laughs at the culture of the time, including how the Minions interact with it.  The movie also has fun with the idea that bad is good, with plenty of laughs that play on our expectations.

No, we don’t understand more of the Minion’s language than we did in the past.  Geoffrey Rush narrates the extended prologue set in the past.  Once the story really gets going in 1968, the interaction with the humans and the actions of our main trio provide all the context we need to understand what is going on.

Now I will freely admit the plot wanders all over the place.  Honestly, I still don’t quite understand what Overkill’s master plan was, and a few twists seemed out of left field to me.

But I just went with it because I was having so much fun.  Heck, in a normal movie, I would call the first part of the film rather slow.  Instead, I found it incredibly funny.  The jokes are plentiful and constant.  And the Minions continue to charm no matter that we got a significantly larger dose of them than normal.  I laughed the entire way through the film and wasn’t ready for it to be over when it ended.

The voice actors do a fantastic job bringing their characters to life.  This goes double for Pierre Coffin, who voices all the Minions.  Okay, so he has some help creating the gibberish, I’m sure, but he still manages to get some emotion into their lines that makes it all feel real while providing multiple laughs along the way.

While the animation style is more caricature than some movies, it works and looks great.  You’ll be lost in the story before you know it.

So if you’ve let hesitation keep you from watching Minions, set that aside today.  Pick up this movie and get ready to laugh.

August 5th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

I'm back!  I had a great vacation, and I even got more reading time in than I thought I would.  Not complaining about that at all.  In fact, this week's Book Beginnings and Friday 56 is from one of those reads.  Or I should say rereads.

This week's book is Race for the Park Street Treasure by Sigmund Brouwer.


                                                     

This is part of his Accidental Detectives series, which is a middle grade mystery.  I've read it three or four times and loved it every time.  Full review is coming on Sunday as part of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

But for today, shall we get to a couple of teasers?  Here's now the book begins:

Nobody hangs around Mike Andrews when Mike's itching to displace good energy into a bad idea. At least no one smart.
Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking.

Since page 56 was actually a blank page between chapters, I'm picking a line from page 58.

"Hey, that's not fair, I protested.  "You were listening."
"Cry to your mama, kid," Squinty Eyes crowed as they stood.  "All's fair in love and war and treasure hunts."

And there you have it for the week.  Hope you have a great weekend.

Book Review: Silk Stalkings by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful characters and a strong plot

Cons: Nothing material

The Bottom Line:

Fruit mogul murdered

With beauty pageant suspects

Delightful cozy

Poly Stalks Another Killer

While I have tended to avoid the crafty themed cozies over the years, one of the exceptions has been Diane Vallere’s Material Witness Mysteries.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first two, but Silk Stalkings is even better.

June in San Ladrone means it is time for the annual Miss Tangorli festival.  This annual beauty pageant was founded by Harvey Halliwell, who first created the hybrid citrus fruit that combines orange, tangerine, and lime.  In an effort to level the playing field this year, Polyester Monroe has been brought in to provide silk from her store for the gowns the contestants will wear.

Tragedy strikes when Poly finds Harvey murdered mere hours after getting the job.  Worse yet, her friend Charlie, the town’s mechanic, seems to know the main suspect, a man she is protecting for some reason.  With her job inside the contest, Poly begins to learn more about Harvey and meet more suspects.  Can she figure out who killed him?

I realized just how much I have come to love these characters when I started the book.  It was absolutely fabulous to be spending time with them again.  We get to see plenty of growth in their relationships by what happens over the course of the book, which is always a joy in a series.  Of course, the new characters are just as strong and interesting as the series regulars.

The plot starts quickly and keeps moving forward at a steady pace.  Poly is always learning something new and there are a couple of very fun scenes along the way as well.  Naturally, we reach a logical and suspenseful climax.

If you are looking for a project after you’ve solved the mystery, you’ll find instructions on how to create a garment bag.  And naturally, this is a project inspired by the book.

Silk Stalkings is a wonderful third in a series that will please those who loved the first two books.  And if that isn’t you because you haven’t met the characters yet, you need to fix that today.

Check out the rest of the Material Witness Mysteries.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Thursday, August 11th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 8/11.  You will have until midnight on 8/16 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 8/17.

Ornament Review: Santa Takes Flight - Once Upon a Christmas #6 - 2016 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great sculpt and fun magic elements

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Santa leaves for trip

In great looking ornament

With fun light and sound

Santa’s Ready to Fly

For the last five years, we’ve watched Santa get ready for his big night via Hallmark’s Once Upon a Time series.  He’s done everything from check his list to put on his suit and feed his reindeer.  Now it’s time to take off with Santa Takes Flight.

And yes, Santa is flying.  Okay, okay, so he’s got a solid base under him like always.  But if you look at what is under his sleigh (and on top of that base), you’ll see stars and clouds.  His sleigh is even banked a little like he is turning.  Unfortunately, we don’t see the reindeer or even the ropes that connect the sleigh to the reindeer, but it still looks very cool the way it is.  Santa has a light green blanket on his lap, and his holding a lantern in his right hand.  Of course, his bundle of toys is behind him, just ready to distribute to the kids as he makes stops along the way.

The ornaments in this series connect to Hallmark’s Magic Cord, which is sold separately.  You can certainly enjoy it without the magic cord, but it’s more fun with it.  When you plug this ornament in, you’ll immediately notice the lights flashing.  As always, the outside of the base lights up with greens and reds.  Santa’s lantern also lights up but it is steady unless one of the magic ornaments is playing, and his bag of toys lights up during a show as well.  I’ve actually been disappointed the last couple of years that there wasn’t more on these ornaments lighting up, so while I’m not quite sure why a bag of toys would be lighting up (unless there was a toy that flashes inside, I guess), I was thrilled when I made this discovery.

When you press the button down near the runners on Santa’s sleigh, you start a show get to enjoy the sound part of the magic.  It starts with Santa talking about the nice snowy weather and encouraging his reindeer as they leave the North Pole.  Then we get an instrumental version of “White Christmas.”  All told, the sound lasts about 1 minute and 10 seconds.  As always, Santa’s voice is perfect.  He sounds just like I picture Santa would sound.  The song afterward is fun as well.  I love the sound components of these ornaments in this series, and this one doesn’t disappoint.  And when the sound is playing, the lights on this ornament and the others attached to the magic cord flash in time.  That includes the light in Santa’s hand and the light in his toy bag.  The sky and stars don’t like up, but it’s still very fun even without that touch.  It’s a very fun sight to see ornaments flashing in time to music, and I just love it.

As always, this ornament features a nice base, so you could set it out to be enjoyed as part of a display.  You’ll find the six in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom as well.

This ornament, like the rest of the series, is heavy, so you’ll want to be sure to find a sturdy branch to hang it on and use a sturdy hanger as well.  The loop is in the top of Santa’s hat, and when you slip a hook in there, you’ll find that it tips forward ever so slightly, but that’s the way the sleigh is tipping anyway, so it’s not that noticeable.

Previous ornaments in the series have included Easter Eggs – references to previous ornaments.  I’m not seeing that here, but maybe that’s just because I don’t know as much about past Hallmark ornaments as I should.  If there are any, my best guess is they are part of the design around the base of the ornament.

But that’s the only complaint I can come up with about the ornament.  The detail is once again wonderful with designs on Santa’s bag and sleigh to add more to the fun.  The sound and light are wonder as well.  Yes, these ornaments are more expensive, but I find them worth it.

Since this series is about Santa getting ready for his Christmas Eve flight, I’m wondering how many more entries in the series we can have.  I can picture one for next year, but I’m not sure how much longer they can keep it going.

But that’s next year.  For this year, you’ll find plenty to enjoy when Santa Takes Flight.

Enjoy all of Santa's Christmas preparations with the rest of the Once Upon a Christmas series.

Original Price: $29.95

Book Review: Grilling the Subject by Daryl Wood Gerber (Cookbook Nook Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery and characters, fun theme

Cons: All cons have been grilled away

The Bottom Line:

Festival, murder

Jenna must clear her father

Cooking up fun book

Wild West, BBQ, and Murder

I’ve really come to look forward to each entry in the Cookbook Nook series.  Yes, there are great characters and a fun mystery, but in each book, author Daryl Wood Gerber has created a fun theme for her fictional town to be celebrating.  Those add a wonderful touch to the books, and I feel like I’m on vacation with the characters.  Grilling the Subject is the latest in the series, and it’s another wonderful read.

The Wild West Extravaganza has come to Crystal Cove.  It’s a week full of stagecoach races, rodeo events, and other fun.  The Cookbook Nook is getting into the spirit by featuring BBQ themed cookbooks and food in their café.  Jenna Hart, the owner of the cookbook bookstore, is looking forward to a wild and wonderful time.

However, someone has taken the theme too far.  Early one morning, a fire breaks out in a neighborhood, and Sylvia Gump is found in the ashes.  Sylvia was a very hard person to get along with, and she made many enemies, especially among her neighbors.  Unfortunately, Jenna’s dad was one of Sylvia’s neighbors.  Worse yet, Cary Hart doesn’t have an alibi, and a neighbor claims to have seen him at the scene.  Now, Jenna needs to find the real killer to clear her dad of a crime she knows he didn’t commit.  Can she do it?

Jenna’s investigation fits in around the fun events of the week nicely.  It helps that the suspects keep coming to the events, so Jenna can ask them questions while she watches.  There are a good number of suspects, too, with suspicion bouncing back and forth among them until the end.  I thought I had the killer pegged, but I wasn’t sure until the very end.

This book also features a very strong sub-plot.  I guessed part of it early on, but I didn’t mind since it added some real depth to Jenna and several of her relationships.

And Jenna has plenty of people in her life.  There is a large cast of characters, and it’s fun to see them all again since they continue to feel like real people.  I’d love to have them as a group of friends, in fact.  The suspects are just as strong and interesting, making it hard to figure out the killer.

If you love the recipes at the end of a culinary cozy, this is certainly the book for you.  There are 13 different recipes, all in keeping with the Old West/BBQ theme.  There are a few different types of BBQ sauce, Cowboy cookies, fudge, some barbecue muffins, and many more.  I dare you to read them without your mouth drooling.

So pull out your cowboy boots and settle in for a delightful read.  Grilling the Subject is a delicious new mystery that will leave you hungry for more.

New more recipes for murder?  Here are the Cookbook Nook Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Tuesday, August 9th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 8/9.  You will have until midnight on 8/14 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 8/15.

July 2016's Monthly Reading Summary

It's August 1st, so it must be time for this month's monthly reading summary.  As always, the Index has been updated as well.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

Toasting Up Trouble by Linda Wiken (Dinner Club Mysteries #1) – 4

J.J. Tanner is an event planner by day and an aspiring chef by night.  As part of her event planner job, she’s hired local chef Antonio Marcotti to cater an Italian themed party.  But Antonio is a bit egotistically, and after he ignores the contract, he and J.J. get into a fight.  Only the next morning, J.J. returns to clean up after the party to find that Antonio is dead.  With the police looking at her and a friend in the local dinner club she’s joined as suspects, J.J. needs to find the real killer.

This debut got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the murder happened, it picked up.  There were some good twists and surprises before we reached a logical ending.  The characters who got a decent amount of page time were well developed, and I’m betting we’ll get to know the rest better in future books in the series.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Murder on a Silver Platter by Shawn Reilly Simmons (Red Carpet Catering Mysteries #1) – 4

Penelope Sutherland is beginning to build her catering company, and landing the job catering the movie her best friend Arlena is starring is in a plum gig indeed.  That is until a dead body is found outside the house where the two women live and accidents keep happening to on the set that appear to make Arlena the target.  What is going on?

I love movies as well as mysteries, so this combination of the two was right up my alley.  It’s a very fun book as well.  The pacing was a bit off, but never for very long at a time, and the mystery led up to a great solution.  The characters are strong and human, not the over the top characters we can get somethings when movie stars are involved.  I’m definitely looking forward to the next in the series.

The Mystery of the Antique Doll by Kathryn Kenny (Trixie Belden #36) – 3

A new antique shop has opened in Sleepyside, and when Trixie and Honey visit the shop, they find Carl, the owner, rude.  But Trixie really gets suspicious when he asks them to do him a favor on a weekend trip to Paris, and they find themselves being followed after doing it.  What have they stumbled into?

While not among my least favorites in the series, I certainly do see the flaws.  The plot drives the book more than logic and the author has to twist things around in pretty painful ways to get to the climax.  Having said that, I do enjoy the climax, and I think the idea behind the mystery was good.  Some of the series regulars are reduced to cameos, and this is the infamous books where Trixie knits.

Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona (Bucket List Mysteries #2) – 4

With the covered bridge festival under way, Charlotte has talked Francine and her husband into a photo shoot to help knock an item off Charlotte’s bucket list.  However, when they are almost done, they hear gunshots and see a man run out of a field, slide down under the bridge, and collapse.  The man turns out to be Francine’s cousin, and she begins poking around to find out what happened.  Can she figure it out?

I loved the first book in this series and I was anxious to revisit the characters.  It’s nice to have a group of 60-something women who are still full of life and pursuing their dreams.  The murder, while good, does take an interesting twist near the end, and I’m very curious to see just how this factors in to later books in the series.  If you are looking for a fun, light cozy that isn’t in the normal mold, this book is definitely for you.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kernel of Truth by Kristi Abbott (Popcorn Shop Mysteries #1) – 5

Rebecca Anderson’s morning is interrupted when she hears screaming from next door.  The owner of the neighboring shop, Coco Bittles, has been found murdered.  It appears to be a robbery gone wrong, but Rebecca digs in to try to find the truth since Coco was her mentor.  Was it a robbery?  If not, can Rebecca figure out what really happened?

This books walks a very fine line.  Because Rebecca was close to the victim, we feel the depth of the loss.  Yet there is some fun humor to keep the book from getting too serious.  Rebecca herself has some maturing to do, but I feel we see that as the book progresses, and I loved that growth.  She’s surrounded by a great group of family and friends I can’t wait to see again.  And the mystery is strong with some nice detours before we reach the logical ending.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce #6) – 4

Flavia’s mother has been found and her body is being returned to Bishop’s Lacey.  Flavia is waiting with the rest of her family on the train station when the body arrives when a stranger comes up to her and gives her a cryptic message.  Minutes later, he’s dead.  What did his message mean?  What does this have to do with Flavia’s mother?

As often in this series, the mystery takes a back seat to Flavia and her family.  Still, the plot does answer some questions about the de Luce family and appears to wrap up a few long running plot threads.  Fans will absolutely love this book however, because of the character study it gives us in grief.  While the mystery is weak, it is a very strong book, especially if you know the characters.

The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Fox and O’Hare #5) – 4

Picking up moments after the last book ended, we learn who kidnapped conman Nick Fox and why.  Can FBI agent Kate O’Hare track him down?  Will this reveal their secret partnership?  And what scheme can they stop next?

Yes, I’m being especially vague on the plot, but most of the fun of this book is seeing how things unfold as the book progresses.  The story moves quickly and keep the pages turning.  As always, the characters could be a tad sharper, but some of the supporting characters are a hoot.

The Sound of Murder by Cindy Brown (Ivy Meadows #2) – 5

Ivy’s latest gig is in The Sound of Cabaret, a mash up of The Sound of Music and Cabaret.  She’s also housesitting, and one of her new neighbors dies in his garage.  While it looks like a suicide, the man’s daughter hires Ivy and her uncle to find proof he was murdered.  Can Ivy balance her first investigation with her new show?  Is there even a killer to find?

I enjoyed the first book in this series a few months ago, and I enjoyed this one just as much.  There are several sub-plots, and they do take the spotlight from the murder in the first half, but as the book progressed the murder was more center stage.  Some of those sub-plots even wound up tying in to the main plot.  The characters are a delightfully fun bunch, and they kept me engaged the entire way through.  Sprinkle in a good dose of humor and you’ve got another great book.

Commander Toad and the Dis-Asteroid by Jane Yolen (Commander Toad #4) – 5

Commander Toad and the crew of the Star Warts are about to leave Star Fleet headquarters when they are given their new mission.  An asteroid is sending out an SOS, and it appears they need beans.  Armed with a wide variety, the crew sets out.  What will they find when they arrive?

As always, this is a fun book filled with puns, both in the text and the illustrations.  The plot, while clever and suspenseful, doesn’t put our characters in as much danger, making it perfect for the more timid reader.  Kids and parents alike will enjoy this book.

The Silence of the Library by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks #5) – 5

Charlie Harris is helping put together a display about the various teen detectives for the Athena Public Library.  Since he’s a fan of the little known Veronica Thane series, he’s hoping to highlight it.  He’s delighted to learn that the author lives nearby and is willing to make a rare appearance during that time.  But news that she will be there brings out some obsessed fans, and a murder quickly follows.  Can Charlie figure out what happened?

As a fan of teen detectives myself, I found this book a lot of fun.  The mystery was strong with a few elements from the teen detective genre thrown in for good measure, which added to the plot.  We didn’t see quite as much of the supporting cast as usual, but the new characters more than made up for it, and Diesel, Charlie’s cat, is as charming as ever.

The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #4) – 4

Harry Bosch has been suspended from work, and he decides to use the time to look into the one case that has always haunted him – the death of his mother.  She was a prostitute, and the case has been cold for over 30 years.  Can he find any fresh leads to follow?  Is there even anyone alive who would care about it anymore?

In many ways, this book is a character study of Harry Bosch, and aspects of that slow the book down, early on.  As the case heats up, however, the book gets more interesting and even threw in a twist or two I wasn’t expecting.  And the character study does pay off because the ending becomes much more powerful for Harry and us as a result.