Book Review: Gone with the Twins by Kylie Logan (League of Literary Ladies Mysteries #5)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun characters, fun story, just plain fun

Cons: Pacing a little off at times

The Bottom Line:

New book, fun series

Pages fly by once again

Love these characters

Twin Troubles on South Bass Island

Confession time – even though I’ve been a lifelong reader, I’ve never been part of a book group.  I realize I’ve probably missed some great books I wouldn’t pick up on my own that way, but I’m usually trying desperately to get through all the books I already know about I want to read.  Still, I love visiting the members of The League of Literary Ladies and seeing how the classic they’ve chosen for their next book discussion plays into the events happening on their island.  We get to do that again with Gone with the Twins.

It’s summer, and the current book the group is reading is Gone with the Wind.  It may have been inspired by The Twins.  Riva and Quentin are children of movie stars who have become even more famous after escaping from a harrowing kidnapping.  They’ve purchased property on South Bass Island and opened it as the bed and breakfast Tara, the southern mansion from the book.  Between their status and the theme of their bed and breakfast, it is really cutting into the business run by Bea Cartwright.  In fact, her own bed and breakfast has no guests or reservations at the moment.

Then there’s Vivien Frisk.  Her aunt, the best realtor on the island, has recently died, and Bea is hoping to buy a piece of furniture that her aunt owned.  When she arrives to make arrangements for the piece, she discovers Vivien’s dead body in the basement.  There are several people with motives, including Bea’s friend and neighbor Chandra.  Chandra has no alibi, won’t say where she was, and appears to be hiding something.  Can Bea get to the bottom of this latest mystery?

Whenever I pick up a book in this series, I know I am in for a fun ride.  This latest is no exception, and it had me turning pages until the end.  The pacing appeared to be a bit off in spots, but I didn’t really care because I was having so much fun.  The climax brings everything together in a very fun way.

The characters in this series are what makes everything so much fun.  The four ladies who make up the league are very different from each other, and they each add a nice touch to the book, complimenting each other perfectly.  Bea, as our main character, is a fantastic lead, and now that her secret is out to us, it provides some added fun to the narration.  The new characters are just as much fun, and they hold some secrets of their own that Bea needs to uncover before the book ends.

If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend you read it in order.  I mentioned Bea’s secret already.  If you don’t know what it is, you’ll have to trust me that half the fun of the series is discovering it along the way.  Plus, there’s how secrets affect her love life.  And yes, long time readers will be glad to learn that Levi has another delicious secret up his sleeve.

You may have noticed that I used fun a lot in this review.  That was on purpose, and that’s because it really is the best word to describe the book and the series.  Fans of the series will love Gone with the Twins, and if you are new to the fun, start this series from the beginning today.

Need to back up?  Here are the League of Literary Ladies Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

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, March 14th, so please leave your comment before 12:01AM Pacific Time on 3/14.  You will have until midnight on 3/19 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 3/20.

Music Review: The New Old Fashioned by Straight No Chaser

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The second half

Cons: Most of the first half

The Bottom Line:

Some sure fire hits here

And some songs that I don’t like

Create a mixed bag

Easily Divided Into Two Halves – Unfortunately

If you’ve paid attention to my music reviews, you’ve noticed that I pretty much just listen to Christian music.  One of the few exceptions is for acappella groups, and one of my favorites is Straight No Chaser.  They can be counted on to provide great covers of songs and some funny new originals.  However, I was disappointed with The New Old Fashioned, their latest non-Christmas release.

Honestly, this disc can be divided into two halves.  They even conveniently did that on the back of the CD.  My problem lies with the majority of the songs in the first half.  “Marvin Gaye” and “Take Me to Church” are just about sex.  And these aren’t subtle songs, like some of the others they’ve covered over the years.  As a Christian, the second song especially bothers me.  Don’t get me wrong, their covers of the songs sound great.  It’s just that the lyrics of both aren’t good at all.

Then there’s “Creep.”  Despite the lyrics, I fell in love with the version of this song that Street Corner Symphony did on The Sing-Off.  Having gotten spoiled on that version, I find this one lacking.  It slows the song down and is less dramatic.  You’d think with more voices they could be more dramatic instead of less, but that’s not what happened here.

And don’t get me started on “Can’t Feel My Face.”  What the heck is this song about?  Plus the chorus is just a couple of lines repeated over and over again, something I regularly complain about.

The first half isn’t all bad.  It does feature a couple of medleys, and I enjoy both of them.  There’s a mash up of “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” with “Proud Mary” and “Beggin’” with “Counting Stars.”

A third medley comes in the second half, and it is my favorite.  “On the Road Again/I Play the Road” is a ton of fun, and they sound great singing it.

Speaking of fun, their cover of “Shut Up and Dance” will make you want to do just that.  I also enjoy their take on “Red,” “Make You Feel My Love,” and “Lost.”

Which brings us to the two original, or at least semi-original tracks.  Up first is “All About that Base (No Tenors).”  This parody of Meghan Trainor’s song makes me laugh every time I hear it as Randy Stine, one of the group’s bases, cuts the other parts down to size and sounds amazing doing it.  (They really should give him more solos.)  Or maybe I just like it because I’m a base.  (And I really should listen to the original song some time.)

The disc closes with the big “Movie Medley.”  Here we get a mix of everything from Jurassic Park to Indiana Jones, James Bond, Forest Gump, and Star Wars.  The guys have made up lyrics to fit the movie and sing them to the famous theme songs.  They are delightfully funny.  The group did a video that goes with this medley, so that explains one line in the “Chariots of Fire” segment, but the rest hold up without any visuals.  (Still, you might want to watch the video on YouTube.)

I really do love the songs in the second half of this disc, but I find myself skipping past most of the first half.  It’s a shame that The New Old Fashioned doesn’t hold up to the fun of the usual Straight No Chaser release.

CD Length: 47:35

Tracks:

1. Marvin Gaye

2. (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay/Proud Mary

3. Creep

4. Beggin’/Counting Stars

5. Take Me to Church

6. Can’t Feel My Face

7. Make You Feel My Love

8. All About That Bass (No Tenors)

9. On the Road Again/I Play the Road

10. Red

11. Shut Up and Dance

12. Lost

13. The Movie Medley

Book Review: Jethro and Joel Were a Troll by Bill Peet

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun story with a good message

Cons: None for the target audience

The Bottom Line:

Two headed danger

Fun story plus good message

Make this a winner

Two Heads Cause Problems

One of the Bill Peet titles that has stood out to me in all the years since I first read them is Jethro and Joel Were a Troll.  I couldn’t remember many of the details of the plot, but I’ve always loved that title.  I decided recently to reread it, and I rediscovered just how much fun it is.

As you’ve probably guessed from the title, Jethro and Joel are a two headed troll.  They live high up on a mountain and spend their days growing the turnips they eat, so there is no real worry that any of the nearby villagers will discover them.

However, Joel isn’t happy with the arrangement.  He wants to be terrorizing people and getting into fights.  Finally, in an effort to get Joel to stop complaining, Jethro agrees that Joel can have control of their body for one day to terrorize and fight.  What will happen on that day?

I remember enjoying this book when I would read it to my younger brother, and there is certainly fun to be had here.  It might be a little simple for one of Bill Peet’s books, but that last line of the book is one that adults will absolutely love.  And the story moves quickly enough to keep kids entertained.

As always, Bill Peet’s illustrations are fantastic.  They are full color and capture the story perfectly.  Kids will enjoy looking at them as they listen to the story.

I didn’t remember this book being nearly the allegory it is, but it’s hard to ignore it, and I’m not one looking for allegories in literature.  We’ve got one body with two competing desires, and this book chronicles what happens when the good side gives in to the desire to do evil.  Okay, so the ending of the book is happy (this is a picture book after all), which doesn’t happen when we give in to sin, but Jethro and Joel certainly come close to facing some serious consequences before the story is over.  And really, this book remembers that it is there to entertain and not lecture us.

Whether you look for the allegory or not, Jethro and Joel Were a Troll is still a very fun picture book.  It’s worth tracking down a copy today to read with the young people in your life.

Ornament Review: Winter Fun with Snoopy #13 - Ice Sculpting - 2010 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun scene; coordinates with another series

Cons: Tilt

The Bottom Line:

Snoopy – ice sculptor

Carving image of Woodstock

Definitely fun

Artist Snoopy is Trying His Hand at Ice Sculpting

Even though Hallmark started their Spotlight on Snoopy and Winter Fun with Snoopy series the same year, there really hasn’t been any cross over between the two series.  It makes sense since the two are really dealing with two very different subjects.  The exception to that came in 2010 when both of them featured Snoopy as an artist for the thirteenth entry in the series.

While the Spotlight on Snoopy series featured Snoopy as a painter, for Winter Fun with Snoopy, he’s a sculptor.  Specifically, he’s carving an ice sculpture of his pal Woodstock.  He’s still wearing a red beret and he’s coupled it with a green scarf, and he’s holding tools in his hand to work on his carving.  He’s almost done because the ice looks amazing.  Meanwhile, the real Woodstock is looking pleased as he looks on.  Why wouldn’t he be since the sculpture is larger than Woodstock is.

And once again, I have to marvel as the detail they put into a miniature ornament.  Everything I just described fits into an ornament that is an inch at its largest points.  Seriously, how do they do that?  As you may have figured out, I really do love the connection with the other series as well, but if you just collect one or the other series, you can certainly enjoy them by themselves.

Snoopy, Woodstock, and ice Woodstock are all standing out in the snow, which gives us a nice flat base.  Of course, with the size, you’ll want to make sure there is some place safe to set it if you aren’t hanging it on your tree.  You’ll also find the 13 in a Christmas tree series marker down there.

The hook for hanging the ornament is on the top of Snoopy’s beret.  Since he’s not quite in the center of the ornament, the ornament tips slightly to the right and a bit more to the back.  Unfortunately, there’s really no good place to but the hook for it would hang straight, but it’s not so bad that it is distracting.  You probably won’t notice by the time you get the ornament nestle among branches on your tree.

2010 was the year I started collecting Hallmark ornaments, and I was tempted to buy this Winter Fun with Snoopy because of how it tied in with that year’s Spotlight on Snoopy ornament.  I resisted at the time since I wasn’t collecting miniature ornaments.  Not that I’ve changed my mind on minis, I’m thrilled to have this one in my collection.

Don't miss the rest of the Winter Fun with Snoopy series.

Original Price: $7.95

March 4th's Weekly TV Thoughts

You can tell when February sweeps is over.  Several of my shows took the week off!

24: Legacy – I knew Ben was dead.  I’m just glad Eric didn’t kill him.  That would have been a Jack move, and I like how they are making Eric not Jack.  What is the father’s game.  Does he honestly think he’s going to get away with lying like that?  Obviously, we will get something off the computer to move things forward, but what?

Supergirl – I guess the producers knew that This Is Us wouldn’t be on this week, so they decided to be my tear jerker show of the week.  That ending was just so hard to watch.  Excellently done by everyone – writers and actors.  I’m hoping Jeremiah has a reason he’s doing this – a good reason.  Because right now it doesn’t seem like a good thing at all.  And here I was happy when I realized they were finally going back to that storyline.

The Flash – Better Grodd episode than I was expecting.  Still not a big fan, but at least they let everyone have their moment to shine.  With Jessie living here now, they’ve got a bigger and bigger cast.  Can’t bode well for someone.  And yes, after talking about Supergirl celebrating Valentine’s Day late, I have to comment on “Friend Day.”  Sorry, but that was Valentine’s Day for sure.  Besides, you don’t propose two weeks after the fact.  And what a proposal!

Arrow – Normally, I expect a big twist at the end of the episode.  Yet they dropped in who the big villain of the season is right there in the middle – and it’s someone I really liked.  I’m not okay with this.  Actually, I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out.  Meanwhile, I knew that Paul wanted to meet up with Curtis to serve him divorce papers.  And what is Felicity about to get herself into?

Suits – I knew it!  They’ve been leading up to it too much, I knew that Mike would get into the bar.  I’m not even that surprised he’s back at the firm or that Louis’s fiancée broke up with him.  (Is it just me, or was their relationship just way too fast?)  The thing that shocked me was that Jessica showed up.  I haven’t been keeping up with my spoilers, so I don’t know if this was kept under wraps or not.  Loved seeing her again and how she handled things.  Very interested to see where things go come summer.  And what is Donna going to do when she searches for something more?

Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 2

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Moments of acting, good conclusion

Cons: Seems to skip some important scenes to story; acting seems bland overall

The Bottom Line:

Climatic movie

Skips parts of the climax and

Skips best punch as well

Epic Saga Comes to an Emotionless End

I really had intended to get to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 sooner.  In fact, I made a point of watching the previous movies in time to catch the climax of the saga in the theater.  It didn’t happen, but I have finally watched it, and I must say I found it anti-climatic.

This movie opens moments after the previous one ended as Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is reeling from the attack on her by Peeta (Josh Hutchinson).  Peeta has been brainwashed by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) to believe that Katniss is evil.  It’s all part of Snow’s attempt to take down Katniss and all she stands for.

As a result, Katniss begins to not only embrace her role as a symbol but act as a leader of the rebellion.  To that end, she heads to the capital on a secret mission to break into the president’s mansion and assassinate him.  But with a city filled with traps, will she succeed?  Will Peeta recover from his conditioning?

Now before we go any further, I want to be perfectly clear on one thing.  I don’t think the problem was breaking the book into two movies.  There was more than enough material for two movies.  There are some intense and fun action scenes.  There are some good twists to the story.  And the ending is satisfying.

The problem comes from how the story is told.  A few key scenes happen off screen.  Okay, is it realistic for Katniss to be in every part of the war?  Not really.  But this is fiction, and we read it to see our hero save the day.  Instead, she seems to pass out at very opportune times for large pieces of action to pass without her for her to be told about later.  And even one of those, we don’t find out about for another two scenes after she is told.

The other problem I have with the movie is the acting.  I know that Jennifer Lawrence especially has made choices to play Katniss as overwhelmed by all she has experienced and shell shocked.  I’ve felt that made her acting too one note at times, but here it takes the movie down as some of the rest of the cast begins to adopt her performance strategy.  The scenes that call for her to react to something are wonderful, and the final scene is absolutely pitch perfect.  You want a scene of wonderful acting?  Watch that last scene.  But much of the rest of the film she and others in the cast just seem lifeless.  I’m not sure what it is that doesn’t connect with me, but it doesn’t work.

Am I sorry I watched these films?  Not in the slightest since The Hunger Games have been a big part of our culture.  However, Mockingjay Part 2 did not send the series out on the climatic note I expected.

March 3rd's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

Here we are on Friday again, which means it is time for this week's Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

This week, I'll be sharing teasers from Gone with the Twins by Kylie Logan.

                                                            


This is the fifth in the League of Literary Ladies series, and the book the ladies are reading is, you guessed it, Gone with the Wind.

Which, plays into the beginning:

"Fiddle-dee-dee!"
The real question - at least for me - wasn't where Chandra Morrisey had found the elegant white lace fan she swept back and forth in front of her face when the exclamation oozed out of her, but where on earth her exaggerated Southern drawl had come from.

Of course, by page 56, we are deep into the heart of the mystery:

"There's your killer," I said, motioning toward the door as soon as [character] had shut it behind himself.  "You can't possibly think it was anyone else.  The guy's a stalker and a liar.  He can't even keep his own story straight."
"He might also have an alibi."

I love this series, and this book was no exception.  I'll have a full review up with giveaway on Tuesday, so I hope you'll stop back by then.

In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend.

Book Review: Bitter Harvest by Wendy Tyson (Greenhouse Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Deep characters, entertaining mystery

Cons: No reason to be bitter; there are no cons

The Bottom Line:

Megan returns with

A great second mystery

Should make her new fans

Murderous Oktoberfest

Last year, I was completely taken with the first Greenhouse Mystery, and I’ve been counting down until I could revisit the characters.  That day has finally arrived as Bitter Harvest is ready, and it’s wonderfully fun.

It’s October in the town of Winsome, Pennsylvania, and for small farmer Megan Sawyer, not only does it mean harvest time but also Oktoberfest.  This is the first year that the town has celebrated it, an idea of Otto Vance, a local brewer with German roots.  It’s going to be a week-long celebration highlighting the local small farms and businesses.  In fact, Megan’s café and store, featuring foods grown on her farm, is one of the sponsors of the event.

However, not everyone is happy.  Megan witnesses a fight between Otto and another brewer over who should be the major brewery sponsor.  Later that day, Otto’s body is found in the middle of the local solar power field.  It looks like an accident – Otto hit his head on the corner of one of the panels.  But Megan isn’t so sure since that explanation leaves her with too many questions, like what was Otto doing in the field in the first place.  With the police busy with the added security needed for the upcoming event, it’s up to Megan to learn the truth.  Is she reading too much into what happened?  Or is there a killer in town?

I fell in love with the first book because of the characters.  It was wonderful to revisit them, and fans of the first book will find they are just as strong here.  It’s been six months between books, and that has allowed the characters some time to grow.  It is there is subtle things, and I really liked seeing it as it continues the character depth I loved in the first book.  The characters introduced in this book are just as strong as the series regulars.

Another thing I liked about the first book is how the mystery feed into Megan learning about some family history.  The family history portion was kept to a sub-plot this time, but it was another satisfying chapter in her life.

That means there is plenty of time for the main mystery.  That’s a good thing because it seems like there is always something happening to confuse us.  People are not always what they appear, and they work hard to keep their secrets from coming out, which is perfect for a page turning story.  As Megan untangles the many branches of the book, things slowly become clear to her and to us, although I was still surprised by the climax.

With all the food talk in the book, it’s no surprise that the book includes a recipe.  This time around, it is for Rustic Potatoes au Gratin.

With strong characters and an engaging plot, Bitter Harvest is hard to put down.  I was finished all too quickly, and I’m looking forward to visiting these friends again very soon.

Enjoy more trips to Winsome with the rest of the Greenhouse Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

February 2017's Monthly Reading Summary

And here we are at the end of February.  Time for another monthly reading summary.  And yes, the index has been updated.

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

Cat Killer by Sandy Dengler (Valley of the Sun Mysteries #1) – 4

When a car bomb explodes killing Cat DuBois, Phoenix police detective Joe Rodriguez has his list of suspects, including Cat’s boss, traveling evangelist Persis Magen.  However, a second incident makes him question who is the killer and who are potential targets.  Can he figure it out before someone else dies?

I first read this mystery 20 plus years ago, and it was fun to revisit these characters.  I did remember the killer, but reading it now, the villain’s identity does seem a little obvious early on.  The characters are strong, and I enjoyed getting to meet them again.  By the end, I was easily able to remember who they all were, even given the large number we meet early on.  This is a Christian mystery, which adds to the book.

War and Peach by Susan Furlong (Georgia Peach Mysteries #3) – 5

The local election for mayor is all anyone is talking about in Cays Mill, Georgia, and Nola Mae Harper has become caught in the middle.  Just an hour before the last debate is to take place, a fire breaks out in Clem Rogers’s barn, and his body is found in the ruins.  Since he had some dirt on his opponent in the race he was going to share at the debate, the people in town are certain his opponent did it.  The sheriff has another theory, Nola Mae’s father, who has admitted to visiting the victim just before the fire broke out.  Nola Mae doesn’t think either of those suspects could have done it.  But can she find out the truth?

If you are tired of politics, don’t let the election angle worry you.  That is only one aspect of this fun mystery.  In fact, we get some delightful red herrings before Nola Mae zeroes in on the truth in the suspenseful climax.  The characters are charming as always, and we get to see more growth in Nola Mae.  Plus there is lots of talk about peaches.  How can you go wrong with that?

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

A Measure of Murder by Leslie Karst (Sally Solari Mysteries #2) – 5

With trying to juggle working at two restaurants, Sally doesn’t have time for anything else in her life, yet when her friend Eric tells her that his community chorus is doing Mozart’s Requiem, she tries out.  Kyle, the lead for the tenors, is snarky to everyone at the auditions, but it is a surprise to everyone when his body is found during the first rehearsal.  The police think it was an accident, but Sally isn’t so sure.  When Kyle’s girlfriend asks Sally to look into it, she starts to find plenty of motives for murder.  But was it really murder?

While Sally’s motive for looking into the murder is a little weak, the rest of the book is strong.  We get plenty of motives and strong suspects.  I thought I had everything figured out early, but by the end I was questioning myself.  The returning characters are a lot of fun, especially Sally and Eric, who we got to know even better here.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford (Tobi Tobias Mysteries #1) – 5

Tobi Tobias is trying to make a go of owning her own advertising agency, but the lack of clients is making it very hard.  Things are so hard, she’s working in a friend’s pet store to earn some money.  Things appear to be turning around when she is hired to do a campaign for the Zander Closet Company.  But her winning slogan turns into a nightmare when a dead body is found in one of their closets.  Can Tobi find the killer in order to save her business?

This is another winning series from Laura Bradford.  The characters are strong right out of the gate, and I fell in love with them.  Tobi has a wonderful group of friends and family I’m looking forward to getting to know better in future books.  The plot is strong with many secrets on the way to a logical ending.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle (Fixer-Upper Mysteries #1) – 3

Shannon Hammer loves her life and her job of working on the many Victorians in Lighthouse Cove.  She’s agreed to go on a blind date with Jerry Saxton, but he turns out to be a complete jerk.  To Shannon’s horror, she finds his dead body in one of her houses a couple of days later.  With the police looking at her as the prime suspect, she has to build a case against someone else.  There are no shortage of suspects, but who did it?

More than a mystery with clues and red herrings, this book is a series of mysterious events, with Shannon reacting to the latest.  There are some interesting twists, but the lack of true investigation bothered me.  Still, the book does come to a logical climax.  I loved these characters.  Shannon has a strong group of friends and family, and I really liked them.

Trunk Music by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #5) – 4

Harry Bosch is back working homicide, and his first case involves a body left in a car trunk.  It looks like the victim was the victim of a mob hit, and he has connections in Las Vegas.  Is the case really going to be that simple?

Bosch’s cases are always fun, and this book is no exception.  I was able to spot a couple of the twists coming a little early, but that was a minor complaint.  The characters are strong, both returning and new.  A face from Bosch’s past comes back into his life here, and I love his new lieutenant.

Terror on Kamikaze Run by Sigmund Brower (Accidental Detectives #10) – 5

When Ricky and his friends are offered a week at a ski resort in Colorado, it seems too good to pass up.  They are supposed to be watching out for something odd that might be happening in the lodge, but they don’t know what might be wrong.  Their first night there, a fire breaks out in the room where they are staying.  Then they see the ghost of a woman who died in the area years ago.  What is going on?

As readers, we get to strap in for another fun mystery.  The plot is strong again, giving us twists and good clues before we reach the logical ending.  The characters are so much fun and better than many we see in middle grade novels.  Plus the humor sprinkled throughout adds a nice touch.  There are some Christian themes woven into the novel as well, but all without preaching at us once.

Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks Mysteries #8) – 5

Athena College is playing host to the Southern Academic Libraries Association convention and Charlie Harris’s old grad school classmate Gavin Fong is giving the keynote address.  Charlie doesn’t have fond memories of Gavin, and an encounter opening night proves that Gavin is still as arrogant as ever.  But when Gavin collapses and dies in the middle of his speech, Charlie is surprised.  Yes, Gavin was a jerk, but who hated him enough to kill him?

As always, this is a strong mystery, with conflict and tension set up from the very first chapter.  We have several strong motives and suspects before Gavin dies, and we get some nice twists before the logical solution.  The suspects are all believable, and the returning characters continue to be strong.  Charlie’s cat Diesel charms like always as well.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Oliver Twisted by Cindy Brown (Ivy Meadows #3) – 5

Ivy and her PI uncle Bob are working on a case together as they go undercover on the Get Lit! ship the S.S. David Copperfield.  They are trying to track down the people behind a rash of petty theft that have been plaguing the literature themed cruise company.  As part of her cover, Ivy is working in Oliver! At Sea!, the ships current play.  However, the ship has barely left when Ivy finds her roommate stuffed into their closet.  Have the thieves escalated to murder?

This is another delightful romp with Ivy.  There are some fun distractions and twists before she begins to put the pieces of the case together, and the way everything comes together at the end is masterful.  Ivy’s cast mates are also the suspects, and we get to know them very well, yet the regular characters we’ve met in Phoenix still get to pop in, mostly via a sub-plot Ivy is trying to help with over phone calls.  Throw in some delightful humor and you have another winner.

A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley (Writer’s Apprentice Mysteries #1) – 4

Aspiring novelist Lena London has been given the change of a lifetime, helping her idol, best-selling author Camilla Graham, polish up her newest novel.  But Lena has hardly arrived in town when she finds the dead body of a young man near Camilla’s house.  What is going on?

There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this novel, and I must admit I enjoyed that real life fantasy.  Camilla writes gothic novels, and there are elements of those here as an homage to the genre.  Even though I’m not familiar with that genre, I still spotted a few; I probably missed others, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me.  The characters are fun and the plot was strong.  I did have some issues with the pacing at the end, but overall, I enjoyed this.  It certainly left me anxious for the next one.

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

Twelve Angry Librarians Winner

I almost forgot to pull the winner of Twelve Angry Librarians, but I remember just before shutting my computer down.

And the winner is...

...Chris!

I've just sent you an e-mail, so please be looking for that so I can connect you with your prize.