Monday, May 30, 2016

The Mother by Yvvette Edwards - #review


From the critically acclaimed author of A Cupboard Full of Coats comes a provocative novel of a mother enduring the loss of her child, illuminating some of the most important and troubling issues of our time.

Marcia’s husband, Lloydie, expresses his tender love for his wife each morning by preparing a cup of tea and setting it by her bedside. This routine was part of the wonderful, secure life they had built, complete with a brilliant and handsome sixteen-year-old son, Ryan.

Then the unimaginable happens, and in a single moment Marcia is stripped clean of everything she had presumed was hers for keeps. Ryan, not the kind of boy to find himself on the wrong end of a knife, is brutally murdered. Consumed by grief and rage, she is forced to carry the weight of the family’s pain. She has to assume the role of supporter for her inconsolable husband, who has distanced himself and created a secret life. She must also bridle her dark feelings and endure something no mother should ever have to experience: she must go to court alone for the trial of her son’s killer, Tyson, another teenage boy. As the trial takes apart her son’s life and reassembles it in front of strangers, Marcia, always certain of Ryan’s virtues, finds her beliefs and assumptions challenged as she learns more about her son’s death and of Tyson’s life.

The Mother is a moving portrait of love, tragedy, and survival—and of the aftershocks from a momentary act of cruel violence that transforms the lives of everyone it touches.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Spring Theme Book Tag Link-up!


The categories are borrowed from Marissa, the fabulous hostess of the Spring Theme Book Tag link-up!  Click on the button to go to the sign-up page!  Spring has sprung!!!

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1.  Spring Showers: What would spring be without the life-giving showers that are a sure sign that spring is here?  Share a book that is a quick read and sure to lift your spirits.


Artisans can reclaim exquisite beauty from the broken, frayed, and hopefully shattered--perhaps once thought beyond repair. But what about us? What of the wounds that keep us from living the life we want to live? 

In Tattered and Mended, readers walk through a gallery of reclaimed and restored art as well as broken and restored lives of those who have gone before us. With a gentle touch and personable wisdom, Cynthia Ruchti shows how even the most threadbare soul can once again find healing and hope.

My thoughts:  I received this book in July 2015from a contest co-sponsored by Litfuse Publicity and the author Cynthia Ruchti.  Included in the prize package were:  a vintage flatware key ring, a handcrafted 'broken china' charm bracelet and a recycled guitar spring bracelet.  Here's a picture:


I actually cried throughout most of the first half of the book.  I've always felt pretty tattered, even from my 'salad days' (and I guess that expression dates me!).  It was nice to know that I was not alone.  Kudos to the author for not making a 'get happy quick in ten short steps how-to' kind of book.  Those have never worked for me and I've been dealing with depression for decades now.  There's something so reassuring in hearing that God loves us, even in our broken places.  


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2. After the showers come beautiful flowers of all colors.  Pick a book that has a pretty flower or floral pattern somewhere on the cover.


Pru Parke always dreamed of living in England. And after the Dallas native follows an impulse and moves to London, she can't imagine ever leaving--though she has yet to find a plum position as a head gardener. Now, as the sublet on her flat nears its end, the threat of forced departure looms. Determined to stay in her beloved adopted country, Pru takes small, private gardening jobs throughout the city. 

On one such gig in Chelsea, she makes an extraordinary find. Digging in the soil of a potting shed, Pru uncovers an ancient Roman mosaic. But enthusiasm over her discovery is soon dampened when, two days later, she finds in the same spot a man's bludgeoned corpse. As the London police swarm her worksite, ever inquisitive Pru can't quite manage to distance herself from the investigation--much to the dismay of stern Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse. It seems that, much as he tries, even handsome DCI Pearse can't keep Pru safe from a brutal killer who thinks she's already dug up too much.

My thoughts:  I've been a fan of Marty Wingate since I read this book back in October of 2014.  It was a little strange but I knew when I touched the book for the first time, that the story was going to be special.  And it was!  I gave The Garden Plot 5 stars.  I know for 2014 I gave out fewer 5 star reviews than can be counted on the fingers of one hand.  And I continue to follow both Wingate's "Potting Shed Mysteries" and "Birds of a Feather Mysteries" to this day.  I received this book through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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3.  Shades of Green: Between the grass, the leaves on the trees, and all of the new flowers, there are so many shades of green everywhere in spring.  Can you think of a book that is driven by conflict over money?


The union of England and Scotland under one crown is not even a half century old, and the Parliamentarians already threaten the very fabric of the nation. These are the adventures of highwayman Capt. James Hind who, in Robin Hood fashion, steals from the Roundheads to help fund the royalist cause. When Cromwell comes to power, James, the Prince of Prigs, must be careful whom among his treacherous “friends” he trusts.

My thoughts:  The Prince of Prigs by Anthony Anglorus is as swashbuckling as a story that's not about pirates can get!  Captain Hind is a thief and a bandit, but he does not grind the less fortunate under his heel as do some governments.  But heaven help you if you lie to him...he'll leave you stripped to your skivvies at the side of the road.  I've never been a fan of people with more of life's blessings looking down their noses at those who are not so blessed.  So books where those particular playing fields are leveled somewhat are "a ok" by me.  I received this book through Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours.

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4.  Picnics & Strolls in the Park: After months of being stuck inside there is nothing like an escape to the park. Share a book that has an iconic scene in a park - or at least a book that has a scene in a park that was vivid to you.



The small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut, has wholeheartedly embraced Kristan 'Stan' Connor's new business - preparing quality organic treats for dogs and cats. On a healthy diet, the animals may live longer - but one local farmer won't be so lucky. As Halloween approaches, Stan is asked to cater a doggie costume party hosted by the Happy Cow Dairy Farm. part of a local co-op, Happy Cow specializes in organic dairy products, and farmers Hal and Emmalee Hoffman have started opening up the farm for parties, offering a 'haunted' corn maze as an added attraction. When Hal's lifeless body is found in the maze, the police at first suspect his wife, but Stan soon learns the dairy farmer had plenty of enemies.

From me:  I am a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre and A Biscuit, A Casket by Liz Mugavero is a charming addition to the genre.  I get a kick out of Kristan (the MC) going by 'Stan', which confuses some people when they first meet her.  This is the second book in the "Pawsitively Organic Mystery" series, and I have also read the 4th installment, "Murder Most Finicky".  I received both books as ARC's through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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5.  All Things Fresh & New: Spring is the season for new, share a book that has caught your eye this season and is brand new - even if you haven't read it yet, or might not ever!


Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the  home, Ivy is captivated by its quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially  an heirloom rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms.  Called the Emmeline Rose for the home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.

Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. Day by day, as she attempts to rebuild her house and her resolve, she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey. For every story has its sadness, but there is also the possibility of blooming again, even stronger and more resilient than before…

My thoughts so far:  This author, Ella Joy Olsen, actually contacted me and had seen online that I review books and had lived in SLC for a number of years, where Root, Petal, Thorn is set.  I am loving this story so far!  It's got the right emotional tug to it    Reading this book is like visiting the places where I grew up.  The Pie? I've eaten there.  Westminster College?  I graduated from there.   The history of houses interests me too....probably because the house we bought used to be owned by my husband's paternal grandmother.  The property has been in the family for at least a hundred years, but the house is 'new' from the 1960's, since the previous residence burned down.

***There is a GoodReads contest for this book ending on May 30th, 2016!

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6. Running Shoes, Flip-flops, Sandals, Rain boots: You have to admit the selection for footwear goes up significantly in the Spring.  Pick a book that showcases a foot or shoe on the cover.


Meet Ruby Wisdom. Smart and sensible. Humorous and heroic. Tough and tender. As the only private investigator in tiny Wormwood, New York, Ruby handles a wide range of cases—everything from jewel heists and cheating husbands to stolen wedding gowns, kidnapped artwork and fraudulent heirs.

In HANDCUFFS & HIGH HEELS, Ruby is hired by the wife of a millionaire when the woman suspects her husband is having an affair. And he is—several of them. But when Ruby begins connecting the duplicitous dots, the deceitful spouse ends up in a much more difficult dilemma than being caught with his hands in Cookie’s jar. And that’s when the real investigation begins.

HANDCUFFS & HIGH HEELS is a cozy mystery loaded with humor, romance, memorable characters and a sleuth who knows her way around baked goods and sweet treats as well as crime scenes and tricky investigations.

My thoughts:  Having a little upholstery on myself, I can appreciate the fact that Ruby does as well.  The one (and only) time I wore heels that huge, though, I wound up being in them for about 12 hours and wound up walking a considerable distance, between the soft opening of a department store and the reception for the employees and their families that night.  So, while I don't get all the fuss with 'Manolo's' and 'Louboutin's', (I mean at those prices, I could by a car!) I am solidly in Ruby's corner.


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Wow.  I wasn't planning on making this such a huge post!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!  Do any of these books appeal to you?

Friday, May 27, 2016

Bait and Snitch by Welling and Lynn - #review


Ponderosa Pines used to be the safest place on earth.

Lately, though, EV Torrence and Chloe LaRue are wondering if their once-sleepy town has caught a ride in a handbasket–with a one-way ticket to someplace hot! When visiting attorney Stacey Hawthorne is brutally attacked, EV and Chloe launch into a new investigation–one that will expose several of their neighbors' deepest secrets.

One of those neighbors has a past, and it’s about to come back to haunt the whole town.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore - #review


In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing—and you know that can’t be good—in this delightfully weird and funny sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Dirty Job.

It seems like only yesterday that Charlie Asher took on a very dirty job—collecting souls and keeping the Forces of Darkness at bay. The new gig came with the Big Book of the Dead and a host of other oddities: creatures under the streets, an evil trinity of ravenlike Celtic death goddesses, and one very bad Underworld dude attempting to conquer humanity. Along with a cohort of other oddballs, Charlie faced off against these denizens of darkness—and met his own end. But thanks to Audrey, his Buddhist-nun boo, his soul is still alive . . . inside a fourteen-inch-high body made from lunchmeat and spare animal parts. Waiting for Audrey to find him a suitable new body to play host, Charlie has squirreled himself away from everyone, including his adorable seven-year-old daughter, Sophie, who enjoys dressing up like a princess, playing with her glitter ponies, and—being the Luminatus—spouting off about her power over the Underworld and her dominion over Death.

Just when Charlie and company thought the world was safe, some really freaky stuff hits San Francisco. People are dying, but their souls are not being collected. Someone—or something—is stealing them and no one knows where they are going, or why, but it has something to do with that big orange bridge. Then there’s the Taser-wielding banshee keening about doom who’s suddenly appeared while Sophie’s guardian hellhounds, Alvin and Mohammed, have mysteriously vanished.

Charlie is just as flummoxed as everyone else. To get to the bottom of this abomination, he and a motley crew of heroes will band together: the seven-foot-tall, two-hundred-and-seventy-five-pounds-of-lean-heartache Death Merchant Minty Fresh; the retired policeman-turned-bookseller Alphonse Rivera; the lunatic Emperor of San Francisco and his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus; Mike Sullivan, a bridge painter in love with a ghost; a gentle French-speaking janitor named Jean-Pierre Baptiste; and former Goth girl Lily Darquewillow Elventhing Severo, now a part-time suicide hotline counselor.

With little Sophie babbling about the coming battle for the very soul of humankind, time is definitely not on their side. . . .

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco - #review #giveaway


San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti’s life is turned upside down when she becomes the target of the city’s newest cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle. Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who’s caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. Is the young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia’s not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn’t merely the messenger of the gods—he was a trickster and a liar as well.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Bearing Witness: Stories of Martyrdom and Costly Discipleship - #review


From the stoning of Stephen in the first-century Jerusalem to Nigerian Christians persecuted by Boko Haram in 2015, these stirring accounts will inspire greater faithfulness to the way of Jesus, reminding believers what costly discipleship looks like in any age.  Bearing Witness brings together dozens of accounts from around the world of Christians who gave witness to their faith in the face of intense persecution, even if it costs them their lives.

Monday, May 23, 2016

All the Single Ladies by Dorothea Benton Frank - #review


• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (May 10, 2016)

In this fast-paced and evocative novel, beloved New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank again takes us deep into the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where three unsuspecting women are brought together by tragedy and mystery.

Lisa St. Clair knows a thing or two about weathering storms. A dedicated nurse with a healthy sense of humor, she single-handedly raised her truculent daughter, Marianne, after her ex walked out on them twenty-four years ago, sending them a lottery ticket once a year as support. One day he reappeared and lured their daughter into a dubious but lucrative venture in Colorado. Now mother and daughter aren’t speaking.

So when Kathy Harper, Lisa’s favorite patient, loses her battle with cancer, Lisa finds herself drawing closer to Carrie and Suzanne, the devoted friends who were always by Kathy’s side. As these three women’s lives inevitably connect, they share their concerns about men, getting older, and the horrors of maintaining financial stability. Suzanne’s ninety-nine-year-old grandmother, a former chanteuse, offers unexpected perspectives on the mores of the day. Carrie’s greedy ex-stepchildren are a chorus of cackling crows. And Lisa’s mother just can’t help herself as she henpecks her to distraction.

Somehow their conversations always return to the enigma of Kathy. Who was she? What did her short life mean?

As Lisa, Carrie, and Suzanne power walk the beaches of the Isle of Palms, they gradually uncover the truth of Kathy’s life and unfurl plans to secure their own futures, as fate steps in to help them discover that being single doesn’t have to mean being alone.

The Penderghast Puzzle Protectors by Julie Seedorf - #review #giveaway


Jezabelle Jingle and her neighbors in the Penderghast section of Brilliant, Minnesota, have a mystery on their hands. Someone is stealing sections of hardwood floors in their homes and the thefts may be connected to a long-hidden treasure left by the founders of Brilliant. Not only that, there’s a dead body in a basement to add to the mix. Can Jezzie and her quirky friends figure out the puzzle and find the treasure before some other, unknown person–maybe the murderer–beats them to the punch? Or will the town’s Chief of Police, Hank Hardy, prevent the group from their sleuthing? Anything can happen in the strange little town of Brilliant, Minnesota. After all, brilliant minds create brilliant finds!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Murder and Mystery (Restless Desires #1) by Stacie Orion - #review



Follow the sordid lives of the residents of Velvet Shore as their paths collide in this quirky series filled with epic tales of romance peppered with action, comedy, and the occasional murder.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield by Tegon Maus - #review



Tucker Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man . In an attempt to take advantage of a party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to death.

To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha instead and their leader Tahki – a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is blackmailed into her recovery.

Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope.

I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again – all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

ESV Family Devotional Bible - #review #giveaway


The ESV Family Devotional Bible is designed to help families read and apply God’s Word together. This full-color edition features the complete ESV text interspersed with engaging illustrations and gospel-centered devotions related to key Bible stories—guiding families through the entirety of God’s Word over the course of a year. Each devotion also includes discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading, helping families develop a habit of reading the Bible together and applying its truth to all of life.

Decanting a Murder by Nadine Nettmann - #review #giveaway


Katie Stillwell focuses on two things in her life: work and practicing for her Sommelier Certification with her blind tasting group. The exam was supposed to be the hardest part of her week, but that was before a body was found at an exclusive Napa Valley winery party.

When all the evidence points to Katie’s best friend, the outspoken and independent Tessa, Katie drops everything to clear Tessa’s name. Using her deductive wine skills, she tries to track down the real killer. But when repeated attempts are made on her life, Katie discovers that everyone’s secrets must be uncorked―including her own.

The Inquisition (Summoner #2) by Taran Matharu - #review #giveaway


More demons, epic battles, and fights to the death: introducing the unmissable next installment in the Summoner Trilogy...

On trial for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must face the Inquisition who will decide his future - the process is gruelling, lead by those who will do anything to see him suffer and haunted by ghosts from the past with clues to Fletcher's tragic origins.

But Fletcher has little time to dwell on these new revelations when the king announces a deadly challenge to the graduating students at Vocans. One that involves entering Orc territory to complete a risky mission. With loyal demons by their sides, commoners and nobles, dwarves and elves must overcome barriers of class and race and work together to triumph. The reward: a fortune in gold, the safety of an empire and PEACE.

With the entire empire watching, Fletcher has much to prove, but there are those out to get him and it soon becomes clear that there's a traitor in their midst, trying to thwart the mission and create unrest within the Empire.

With everything stacked against him, Fletcher must use everything in his power to fight his way to victory.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman - #review


Luisa “Lu” Brant is the newly elected state’s attorney of Howard County, Maryland, a job in which her widower father famously served. Fiercely intelligent and ambitious, she sees an opportunity to burnish her reputation by trying a homeless man accused of beating a woman to death in her home. It’s not the kind of case that makes national headlines, but peaceful Howard County doesn’t see many homicides.

As Lu prepares for the trial, the case dredges up painful memories, reminding her small but tight-knit family of the night when her brother, AJ, saved his best friend at the cost of another man’s life. Only eighteen at the time, AJ was found to have acted in self-defense. Now Lu wonders if the events of 1980 happened as she remembers them. Long discrete memories begin to fit together, revealing connections and secrets that Lu never suspected.

The more she learns about her new case, the more questions arise about the past. Why was her brother’s friend attacked? Who was the true victim? Lu discovers that the legal system, the bedrock of her entire life, can no longer provide comfort or even reliable answers. If there is such a thing as the whole truth, Lu realizes—possibly too late—that she would be better off not knowing what it is.

Clouds in My Coffee by Julie Mulhern - #review #giveaway


When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors’ party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident. But when her house is fire-bombed, she’s shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts. Someone wants her dead. But why? And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again?

Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee…

Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth books, book club recommendations, humorous murder mysteries, historical mysteries.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Friday Bookish Post - May 13, 2016

    

Thanks to Freda from "Freda's Voice" and Gilion at "Rose City Reader" for hosting these bookish link-ups!  Click one of the buttons to go to the link-up page.  Since I will have two reviews tomorrow, I thought I'd do BBOF on one and F56 on the second.


SYNOPSIS

Indulging their pleasure in travel and new experiences, recently retired private school head Maggie Detweiler and her old friend, socialite Hope Babbin, are heading to Maine. The trip—to attend a weeklong master cooking class at the picturesque Victorian-era Oquossoc Mountain Inn—is an experiment to test their compatibility for future expeditions.

Hope and Maggie have barely finished their first aperitifs when the inn’s tranquility is shattered by the arrival of Alexander and Lisa Antippas and Lisa’s actress sister, Glory. Imperious and rude, these Hollywood one-percenters quickly turn the inn upside-down with their demanding behavior, igniting a flurry of speculation and gossip among staff and guests alike.

But the disruption soon turns deadly. After a suspicious late-night fire is brought under control, Alex’s charred body is found in the ashes. Enter the town’s deputy sheriff, Buster Babbin, Hope’s long-estranged son and Maggie’s former student. A man who’s finally found his footing in life, Buster needs a win. But he’s quickly pushed aside by the “big boys,” senior law enforcement and high-powered state’s attorneys who swoop in to make a quick arrest.

Maggie knows that Buster has his deficits and his strengths. She also knows that justice does not always prevail—and that the difference between conviction and exoneration too often depends on lazy police work and the ambitions of prosecutors. She knows too, after a lifetime of observing human nature, that you have a great advantage in doing the right thing if you don’t care who gets the credit or whom you annoy.

Feeling that justice could use a helping hand--as could the deputy sheriff—Maggie and Hope decide that two women of experience equipped with healthy curiosity, plenty of common sense, and a cheerfully cynical sense of humor have a useful role to play in uncovering the truth.

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY

Maggie Detweiler, new-minted woman of leisure and not at all sure she was going to like it, had no sense of impending tragedy as she posed in front of the broad stone veranda of the Oquossoc Mountain Inn that bright October morning.  She didn't really know what made her say to Hope, "When your picture's being taken, don't you always wonder if it's the one that will run with your obituary?"

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SYNOPSIS

Walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards with a bow-tied Bullmastiff draws Nic and Nigel Martini plenty of attention from the press. But that’s nothing compared to the attention they receive at the A-list after party, when Hollywood royalty learn that Nic and Nigel have discovered behind the scenes footage from A Winter’s Night, an acclaimed film known for backstage love triangles and the tragic death of its original star, Melanie Summers.

Returning home after the party, Nic and Nigel find their house in shambles and their employee DeDee Evans beaten within an inch of her life. And when the weapon used to pummel DeDee implicates beloved actress Christina Franklin, Nic and Nigel drink and banter their way into a modern-day version of a golden-era crime caper.

THE FRIDAY 56

He quietly drummed out a rhythm on his leg for a few more minutes before narrowing his eyes and asking, "You don't have any questions?" 
"Oh, I have lots of questions," I assured him.  "However, I assumed that you came here to tell us something.  But if you're trying to do so through Morse Code, I should warn you  that I'm a bit rusty on my dashes and dots."

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Book Blogger Hop   

Thanks to Billy B at the "Coffee Addicted Writer" for hosting this link-up!  Click on the buttons above to go to his blog.

This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth at Silver's Reviews.  I'm actually going to paraphrase:

Is there a reason you chose your blogging platform (Blogger, Wordpress, etc.) over another?

My scintillating answer?  Nope. :p

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Also welcoming the weekend with:

        

Thanks to Ramona at Create With Joy, Janice at Mostly Blogging, and Tina at Mommynificent for these fun link-ups!  Click on the button to visit the sites to join in!  The more the merrier...really! :O)

Death at Breakfast by Beth Gutcheon - #review


Indulging their pleasure in travel and new experiences, recently retired private school head Maggie Detweiler and her old friend, socialite Hope Babbin, are heading to Maine. The trip—to attend a weeklong master cooking class at the picturesque Victorian-era Oquossoc Mountain Inn—is an experiment to test their compatibility for future expeditions.

Hope and Maggie have barely finished their first aperitifs when the inn’s tranquility is shattered by the arrival of Alexander and Lisa Antippas and Lisa’s actress sister, Glory. Imperious and rude, these Hollywood one-percenters quickly turn the inn upside-down with their demanding behavior, igniting a flurry of speculation and gossip among staff and guests alike.

But the disruption soon turns deadly. After a suspicious late-night fire is brought under control, Alex’s charred body is found in the ashes. Enter the town’s deputy sheriff, Buster Babbin, Hope’s long-estranged son and Maggie’s former student. A man who’s finally found his footing in life, Buster needs a win. But he’s quickly pushed aside by the “big boys,” senior law enforcement and high-powered state’s attorneys who swoop in to make a quick arrest.

Maggie knows that Buster has his deficits and his strengths. She also knows that justice does not always prevail—and that the difference between conviction and exoneration too often depends on lazy police work and the ambitions of prosecutors. She knows too, after a lifetime of observing human nature, that you have a great advantage in doing the right thing if you don’t care who gets the credit or whom you annoy.

Feeling that justice could use a helping hand–as could the deputy sheriff—Maggie and Hope decide that two women of experience equipped with healthy curiosity, plenty of common sense, and a cheerfully cynical sense of humor have a useful role to play in uncovering the truth.

Killer Cocktail by Tracy Kiely - #review #giveaway


Walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards with a bow-tied Bullmastiff draws Nic and Nigel Martini plenty of attention from the press. But that’s nothing compared to the attention they receive at the A-list after party, when Hollywood royalty learn that Nic and Nigel have discovered behind the scenes footage from A Winter’s Night, an acclaimed film known for backstage love triangles and the tragic death of its original star, Melanie Summers.

Returning home after the party, Nic and Nigel find their house in shambles and their employee DeDee Evans beaten within an inch of her life. And when the weapon used to pummel DeDee implicates beloved actress Christina Franklin, Nic and Nigel drink and banter their way into a modern-day version of a golden-era crime caper.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Final Tap by Amanda Flower - #review #giveaway

 

March on Barton Farm can only mean one thing: maple sugar season. To combat the winter slump, resilient director Kelsey Cambridge organizes a Maple Sugar Festival, complete with school visits, pancake breakfasts, and tree tapping classes. Kelsey hires curmudgeonly maple sugar expert Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the classes, despite misgivings over his unpleasant demeanor. It’s a decision she ends up regretting when, before the first tree can be tapped for sap, Dr. Beeson turns up dead.

The maple sugar expert’s death threatens to shut down not only the Maple Sugar Festival, but also Barton Farm itself. Kelsey must solve Dr. Beeson’s murder to escape the increasingly sticky situation.

Sleuthing Women Anthology - #review #giveaway


Sleuthing Women is a collection of 10 full-length mysteries featuring murder and assorted mayhem by 10 critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling authors. Each novel in this set is the first book in an established multi-book series—a total of over 3,000 pages of reading pleasure for lovers of amateur sleuth, caper, and cozy mysteries.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Tuesday Books and Talk - May 10, 2016



This is week 4 of the Between the Lines series, hosted at Katherine's Corner.

Between the Lines features bloggers 'of a certain age', or in other words, 50+, whom you should be following, niche or no!





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Thanks to Jenn for hosting Teaser Tuesday at her blog, Books and a Beat. Thanks to Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea for hosting FCFP. Click on their buttons to get all the details, to see what books others have found and to join in the fun!

My next review up is for an anthology, called, Sleuthing Women: 10 First-in-Series Mysteries, so I'll take the Tuesday bookish info from the first full-length book in the group, called, "Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun", by Lois Winston.  Here are the covers for the anthology and the book, respectively:

  


FCFP TUESDAY

I hate whiners.  Always have.  So I was doing my damnedest not to become one, in spite of the lollapalooza of a quadruple whammy that had broadsided me last week.  Not an easy task, given that one of those lollapalooza whammies had barged into my bedroom and was presently hammering her cane against my bathroom door.

TEASER TUESDAY

This is from location 427 in the MOBI file of the anthology:

Why is it that guys with wrinkles look sexy, but when women get wrinkles, they just look old?
And why on earth was I thinking of such things when my life was turning to week-old crap?  Maybe my brain decided I needed a shot of serotonin to give me a brief respite from the more pressing problems of newly acquired poverty and how to avoid being fitted for cement Manolos.
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Reading challenges, read-a-thons and blogging link-ups.  Three things I love!  I participated in the following last Tuesday, but had already finished the post so I didn't add the graphic.  I know.  Forgive me. :O)  So I'm making it official!



Thanks to Keri Lynn at Our Pretty Little Girls for hosting this link-up!  (Actually, it's hosted on a baker's dozen or so of blogs, so I guess I'll have to rotate where the link goes each week.  That's actually a 'note to self' because sure as shootin' I'll forget.

Since this is the first 'official' link-up for me, I thought I'd add a little bit about how I found Tuesday Talk and why I've gone back.  So sit back and relax.  Get a drink if you're thirsty.  I'll wait.  (No worries, it won't be that long a story.)

Katherine at Katherine's Corner is running a multiple week series on bloggers who are 50+.  Since I myself am 50+, I think it's a swell idea!  But I have met some really nice women and bloggers in the last four weeks and I truly am grateful to have some new bloggy friends.  (Nothing against younger women and nothing against the men...it's just nice to know have some women acquaintances who know that when someone says "911" they are not necessarily referring to the emergency services telephone number.  But I digress...

One of the bloggers who was featured in the same week as me, is Michelle at Grammie Time.  When I visited her blog as part of the tour, I found out she linked up to "Tuesday Talk".  And, link-up aficionado that I am, I stalked followed her and the rest is history!  (Or is that herstory?)

(And I actually found another link up while I was visiting Tuesday Talk links, but that's a story for another day.)

Loving Eleanor by Susan Wittig Albert - #review


When AP political reporter Lorena Hickok—Hick—is assigned to cover Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the wife of the 1932 Democratic presidential candidate, the two women become deeply, intimately involved. Their relationship begins with mutual romantic passion, matures through stormy periods of enforced separation and competing interests, and warms into an enduring, encompassing friendship that ends only with both women’s deaths in the 1960s—all of it documented by 3300 letters exchanged over thirty years.

Now, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert recreates the fascinating story of Hick and Eleanor, set during the chaotic years of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the Second World War. Loving Eleanor is Hick’s personal story, revealing Eleanor as a complex, contradictory, and entirely human woman who is pulled in many directions by her obligations to her husband and family and her role as the nation’s First Lady, as well as by a compelling need to care and be cared for. For her part, Hick is revealed as an accomplished journalist, who, at the pinnacle of her career, gives it all up for the woman she loves. Then, as Eleanor is transformed into Eleanor Everywhere, First Lady of the World, Hick must create her own independent, productive life.

Drawing on extensive research in the letters that were sealed for a decade following Hick’s death, Albert creates a compelling narrative: a dramatic love story, vividly portraying two strikingly unconventional women, neither of whom is satisfied to live according to the script society has written for her. Loving Eleanor is a profoundly moving novel that illuminates a relationship we are seldom privileged to see and celebrates the depth and durability of women’s love.

The Secrets of Flight by Maggie Leffler - #review


• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 3, 2016)

This captivating, breakout novel—told in alternating viewpoints—brings readers from the skies of World War II to the present day, where a woman is prepared to tell her secrets at last.

Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her past. Now eighty-seven years old and a widow, she is still haunted by secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she’s presided over for a decade, though she’s never written a word herself. When a new member walks in—a fifteen-year-old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister Sarah—Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason.

Mary hires the serious-eyed teenager to type her story about a daring female pilot who, during World War II, left home for the sky and gambled everything for her dreams—including her own identity.

As they begin to unravel the web of Mary’s past, Mary and Elyse form an unlikely friendship. Together they discover it’s never too late for second chances and that sometimes forgiveness is all it takes for life to take flight in the most unexpected ways.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Monday Bookish Post - May 9, 2016

     


   

Thanks to Marie of Tynga's Reviews, Kathryn at Book Date, Ramona at Create With Joy and Janice at Mostly Blogging for hosting these respective link-ups!  (Click on the buttons to go to the respective blogs.)

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STACKING THE SHELVES

Here are some books I got last week:

  

Death at Breakfast will be reviewed here this Friday (May 13th).
The ESV Family Devotional Bible will be featured here on the blog on Saturday (May 14th).

   

Loving Eleanor will be reviewed here tomorrow, Tuesday, May 10th.
I won  Stars Over Sunset Boulevard in a contest on Silver's Reviews!

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IT'S MONDAY.  WHAT ARE YOU READING?


The Sleuthing Women Anthology, 10 full-length books in one, will be reviewed here on Wednesday, May 11.  I'm about half-way through, so I've got my work cut out for me!

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INSPIRE ME MONDAY TWINS

(I found this graphic here.)

What makes you come alive?

Here's mine.  I want to wish my husband a Happy 19th Anniversary!: