The Spy Coast by Tess Garritsen

I came across The Spy Coast, when perusing a "most anticipated" list of books for March. The Summer Guests was on that list. It sounded really good but found that there was one book before it: 

The Spy Coast. The Martini Club #1

About: "A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built."

I really enjoyed this book. On the surface, it might remind readers of The Thursday Murder Club, but it’s quite different. While the group in this story does host a monthly book club with potlucks and martinis, the similarities mostly end there.

The main characters were former CIA operatives. As one of them retires to an isolated area in Maine, a few of their "coworkers" follow suit. This group is younger than the characters in The Thursday Murder Club and far more physically active. They maintain their skills through rigorous practice, set up elaborate security systems, and remain somewhat suspicious—even of each other. The characters are  closer to the characters in the movie Red, starring Helen Mirren and John Malkovich.

Like many first books in a series, this one alternates between past and present, exploring the group’s beginnings in the CIA and focusing on one key mission. These flashbacks tie directly to present-day events. When Maggie gets an unexpected visitor demanding information about “Operation Cyrano” and later discovers a body in her driveway, she decides to leave her home and go east to uncover the truth. Despite her protests, her friends rally to support her.

The story is packed with action and misdirection, making it a great spy thriller with a hint of James Bond. It’s a gripping read that I highly recommend.

Fans of Tess Gerritsen might recognize her name from the Rizzoli & Isles series, which inspired the popular TV show. You can learn more about her and her works on her website.

https://www.tessgerritsen.com/

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan

 Hi everyone! I hope Spring is showing its face where you are. It was the first day of Daylight Savings Time where I am. I have dubbed it Mixed Up Monday (vs Freaky Friday). We lost an hour of sleep and the entire work day was a very mixed up day. There was evidence that not only was I tired and not as sharp as I should be, but all work coming in had issues, errors and well general weirdness. Glad when the day ended.

For our March Mystery Book Club, we read The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan. It is the first in the Ghostwriter series by the author.

About: "It's a dream assignment. Former Senator Dorothy Gibson, aka that woman, is the most talked-about person in the country right now, though largely for the wrong reasons. As an independent candidate for President of the United States, Dorothy split the vote and is being blamed for the shocking result. After her very public defeat, she's retreated to her home in rural Maine, inviting her ghostwriter to join her.

Her collaborator is impressed by Dorothy's work ethic and steel-trap mind, not to mention the stunning surroundings (and one particularly gorgeous bodyguard). But when a neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances, Dorothy is determined to find the killer in their midst. And when Dorothy Gibson asks if you want to team up for a top secret, possibly dangerous murder investigation, the only answer "Of course!"

The best ghostwriters are adept at asking questions and spinning stories . . . two talents, it turns out, that also come in handy for sleuths. Dorothy's political career, meanwhile, has made her an expert at recognizing lies and double-dealing. Working together, the two women are soon untangling motives and whittling down suspects, to the exasperation of local police. But this investigation-much like the election-may not unfold the way anyone expects."

We had a good discussion about this book. Everyone went around and said they liked it well enough, good story etc. Then people in the group starting commenting on different aspects of the book which created a lot of "I didn't catch that, oh is that what it was, I totally missed that...". There are quite a few red herrings in the story. The main character, the ghost writer isn't named. That bothered me for quite awhile. I went back several times looking for the characters name. It is not there. But as  people talked, we decided that a ghostwriter's name isn't the writer's real name so that is probably why they aren't named. I did not guess "who dunnit" but I knew there was something off about that character. There is a lot of dry wit and I found parts of the repertoire hilarious. There are many references and humorous quips about to British mysteries; Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Poroit, and Miss Marple comparing the characters in the story. 

We also debated: Who is the busy body in the story? (If you have read this book, I would like to know what you think.) Who I thought/think was the busy body and who others think it was differed. Hmmm

A few of the members had already read book two, Loose Lips, or were waiting to pick it up at the library. All in all, we decided it was a pretty good book and most left wanting to read book two, Kemper Donovan also has a podcast, All About Agatha, (as in Christie). A few people had already checked out the podcast and listened to a couple of episodes.

About the author:

"I’ve lived in Los Angeles for most of my adult life. Starting out, I worked at a wonderful company called Circle of Confusion (no, really) representing film/television screenwriters and comic books. My very first client wrote the screenplay for the feature film Hanna, released by Focus Features in 2011. (If you haven’t seen it, watch it; you won’t be sorry.) Before that I went to college at Stanford University (with apologies to the Bay Area, I am definitely more of a SoCal person), and law school at Harvard. Technically, I am a retired lawyer, which means I passed the New York Bar and then immediately switched my status to “retired” to avoid fees and continuing education requirements….

I began writing my first novel, The Decent Proposal, when I was still a manager. After an extremely long gestational period and an even longer process acquiring representation and then selling the book for publication, I turned to writing full-time. Around the same time, I also began a side project with my dear friend, Catherine Brobeck. Together we created the podcast All About Agatha, devoted to the one and only Agatha Christie. Tragically, Catherine passed away at the end of 2021, and I have continued on with the podcast solo. It was my work on All About Agatha that inspired me to write my own mystery series, which is currently being published by Kensington Books. 

I am married, and my husband and I have two daughters who keep us extremely busy. When I’m not with them, or chattering into a microphone, or staring at a laptop with my head in my hands, I enjoy doing things that have a more obvious/tangible/short-term payoff such as running and attempting to play the violin (emphasis on the attempt)."

https://kemperdonovan.com/about-me/

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

 Finally we are out of the freeze here is Central Texas! I know there are many that have much worse weather but we sure is hard to take here. Disclaimer - I grew up in the Midwest.

My most recent "listen" was The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. It was Goodreads Readers' Favorite Mystery and Thriller for 2024.

About: "Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet."

The story alternates between two timelines: the early 1960s, when Barbara Van Laar's brother disappeared, and 1975, when Barbara herself goes missing. The Van Laar family owns a large property in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, which includes Camp Emerson. Every summer, wealthy parents send their children, aged 9 to 14, to this camp. The camp counselors, aged 18 to 19, are only slightly older than the oldest campers and are overseen by T.J. Hewitt, the daughter of the groundskeeper, Vic Hewitt.

Barbara is a troubled 13-year-old girl, and her parents are equally troubled adults, all products of dysfunctional families. When Barbara disappears, just as her brother did, the entire community is shocked that such a tragedy could strike the same family twice.

Judyta “Judy” Luptack, a young State Trooper, is brought in to assist with the search. At a time when women are not commonly seen in such roles, Judy faces significant challenges and preconceptions as she takes on more responsibility in the investigation.

The story is multi-layered and complex, filled with family and community secrets. Initially, it may seem like a typical tale of a missing child and ensuing chaos, but the outcomes are unexpected and surprising.

An interesting note: "The God of the Woods" is based on a real serial killer and the author's own experiences with summer camps. Robert Garrow, a serial killer who murdered four people in the Adirondacks in 1973, inspired the fictional character Jacob Sluiter, also known as "Slitter." The author, Moore, drew on her own experiences at Adirondack summer camps and wrote the novel while staying in a cabin in the Adirondacks. Moore also has family history in the area, as her mother grew up there, and she spent time there as a child.

I recommend this book. Be be prepared for lots of holds on this one, if you are trying to check it out from your local library. :)

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin

 Hi all! Happy Superbowl Sunday!! American football is done after today. (yay)

For the February Mystery Book Club, we read:

How to Solve Your Own Murder: Castle Knoll Files #1

About: "For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate.... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune."

The story is told by flipping back and forth between the 1960's when Frances is a teenager and current time when Annie, Frances' great niece, is a young adult. Everyone thought Annie's mother (Laura) would inherit Frances' estate. So it is a surprise when Annie is contacted and told Frances wants to meet with her regarding the future of the estate. Laura doesn't care too much as she has an important art show during that time, so Annie makes the trip to Castle Knoll. There she meets with Walter, Frances' lawyer and is introduced to Oliver, Walter's grandson and real estate developer. Add Saxon, Frances's nephew by marriage (to Ford) and his wife Elva and you have many people interested in the estate.

As in any good English manor mystery, someone is murdered. In this case it is Frances, before anyone can get to her estate at the scheduled time. Enter Detective Crane and Joe the ambulance driver.

Annie gets ahold of her great aunt's diaries that she has kept since she was a teenager and learns all about her friends, several who are still living i.e. Walter the lawyer, Rose who runs the local B&B. Annie reads the diaries because it is a pretty interesting story and to find clues as to who may have murdered Frances. The more she snoops, somebody starts getting nervous and starts leaving threatening notes in her room.

The MBC members all liked the book. We actually had a pretty good discussion about it. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. But everyone agreed it was a quick read because they couldn't put it down. Lots of red herrings. We all want to read the second book too.

This is Kristen Perrin's debut murder mystery for adults. Prior to this, she wrote several YA books. How to Solve Your Own Murder was nominated for a Goodreads Reader's Favorite Mystery and Thriller for 2024.

The second Castle Knoll's Files book is coming out April 29th, 2025. It is titled, How to Seal Your Own Fate.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2286846/kristen-perrin/

Dead Liar by Ruth Nina Welsh and Groundhog Day predictions

Well, I heard that Punxsutawney Phil in Pa. (groundhog) saw his shadow and perdicts six more weeks of winter. Here in Texas, Bee Cave Bob predicted an early spring. Nacho the dachshund in Buda Texas predicted six more weeks of winter.  Luckenbach Lloyd (armadillo) says "winter will last until it's over and then it will be spring."  :)

I wanted to share the information on the ARC I mentioned in my last post.

Dead Liar by Ruth Nina Welsh was just published on January 29, 2025. I really liked this book and am recommending it.

About: 

"Jamie buried her husband two years ago.

But now he’s alive.

And she’s on the run.

Army nurse Jamie Shaw loses everything when her husband, Ed, dies in a tragic car crash. But on the anniversary of his death, her world shatters again. She glimpses a man she’s certain is her husband – and he is very much alive.

Jamie barely has time to process her shock before the unimaginable happens…

Armed men are invading her home. And she is running for her life.

How is Ed alive?

Why has he betrayed her?

And who are the armed men hunting her?

Desperate for answers, Jamie embarks on a perilous journey to find her lying husband. But she is unaware of the dangerous conspiracy about to ensnare her and the dark secret hiding behind a string of murders. Murders which her husband is at the heart of.

Will Jamie survive the sinister forces closing in on her? And can she help to expose their deadly secret? A secret which, if revealed, could change the world forever…

Dead Liar is a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller with a breathtaking twist. It will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final heart-stopping pages."

This book is very suspenseful and gripping, truly a page turner and hard to put down.
Jamie is trying to get on with her life after the death of her husband Ed. She goes to work as a nurse each day and then straight home. She is still having a difficult time after two years. Her only "social life" is virtual traveling. She sees the world through an online travel group. The only family she has is her father in law. When she sees her husband alive on an online travel experience, she quickly reaches out to her husbands best friend and notifies him she thinks Ed is alive. She then realizes she may not be able to trust those she thinks she can trust and sets out with Conor, who she served with in Afghanistan in the Army. But who can Jamie really trust? The more she discovers, the more danger she and Conor are in. At the base of this book is a thought provoking story about a pharmaceutical company, research and greed. It could be right out of the television series Greed. It is set in today's environment with modern technology playing a big part in the story. 

This is a debut thriller for the author. You wouldn't believe this is her first thriller. 

About the Ruth Nina Welsh:

"Ruth Nina Welsh lives in Northamptonshire, in the UK. She began writing songs in her late teens after becoming severely ill with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Creativity has been her strength and solace as a musician and writer living with chronic illness for four decades. She has been a piano teacher, practised as a counsellor and coach, written self-help articles as a freelance writer, and released three albums of her own music – Breathe, Somehow & Heartland. Ruth’s first thriller, Dead Liar, was released in January 2025. At home all the time now, she lives for her family and friends, her creative world, and her gorgeous garden view."

https://ruthninawelsh.com/

Coming up next time: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin.

We Begin at the End by Chis Whitaker

 Happy 2025! I guess we are passed that celebration.

The holidays were good. We had company for Christmas which we don't have often. We enjoyed that. 

January started off with the Mystery Book Club having our first meeting of the year. We read One Wrong Word by Hank Phillip Ryan. I had read it in the summer and did a post on it. Everyone liked it! Lots of twists and a surprise ending. We don't always have a thumbs up from everyone but we did for this book. Several of us are fans of the author.

Then at the house we started some reality episodes of This Old House followed by The Artic Blast; Will It Be Another Snowmageddon. Luckily it was not but had several days of below freezing and some snow. Not a fan. And we did get the repairs taken care of before that happened. Lots of distractions though.

I did finish We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. This is the first book by this author, published prior to the popular All The Colors of the Dark. We Begin...is just as popular, based on the number of holds at the library. Makes me think of the chicken and the egg question. I wonder if, like me, people read All The Colors...and then found there was another book by the author and are now clamoring to read it.

It is really good also. I listened to it on audio and loved it.

About: "Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.

Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.

Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.

Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create. "

There is so much more to this story. It takes place in a small town. The main adult characters have all grown up together. They have all had hard lives for different reasons. They all still live if not across the street from each other, just down the street from each other. Mix in some unsavory characters and you have problems. Someone is killed and everyone is quick to point at Vincent. He is so depressed and ridiculed after having been in prison for an incident that touched these same people, that he is quick to say he did it. But Walk doesn't think he did. But is his vision blurred because they were best friends in school?

Duchess is old way beyond her years. She takes care of her mother and her five year old brother. And if anyone harms, threatens or talks bad of them, she will take things into her own hands. 

Throughout the story, Walk is working on solving the murder as Duchess and Robin are trying to survive with the help of some other people. But it is a struggle.

Lots of ups and downs and a good unexpected ending. 

I would recommend it. We Begin at the End and All Colors of the Dark are standalones. The themes have similarities but as a whole the books are different.

I also started The Gray Wolf by Louise Penny during the Christmas holiday. It is very good as expected. I then received and ARC I had signed up for and turned my attention to it. It is also good - a spy/thriller story. I will share that when it is published in February. I now need to pick up our February MBC selection: How to Solve You're Own Murder by Kristin Perrin.

So I have several books to talk about soon! I am actually taking a day off to READ. I am thinking I should do that once a month. What do you think?

All the Colors of the Dark, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

 Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! 

I read two books this month that I really liked and want to tell you about.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

About: "1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope."

Patch and Saint are childhood best friends. (Saint is a girl) They explore the woods together as children and preteens. Saint often sticks up for Patch as he is bullied for wearing a patch where his eye should be. They are both from poor families struggling. Misty lives in the other side of town; wealthy family, pretty, has it all. Patch has a crush on her. One day when they are walking in the woods, someone attempts to kidnap Misty. Patch goes to her rescue, Misty escapes but Patch is taken and held somewhere in the dark for quite awhile. There is one other person seemingly being held also, Grace, who keeps Patch alive.

The story goes on over the next 30 years as Patch escapes and is determined and obsessed with finding Grace. Saint is married to a local boy. 

It is such a gripping story, filled with horrific moments, tension, but also deep lifelong  friendships. 

I highly recommend it. The author has another book that came out before this book: We Begin at the End which promises to be equally as good. I have it on my TBR list.

https://sites.prh.com/chriswhitaker

*The second book I listened to this month that I absolutely loved is:

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

About: "Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth."

This is an excellent mystery. It is very humorous at times, (hilarious actually), very heartwarming and emotional at times.

Vera Wong decides she will solve the murder of the man found in her Tea Shop because, based on what she has seen on the CSI T.V. show, the San Francisco police do not know what they are doing. she even outlined the body - in permanent marker- for the police, before she called them. Several people stop by the shop to see what happened, seemingly unrelated or unknown to each other. Vera is suspicious of them all, starts a notebook of her investigation and brings them all together, through food and tea, to find out who is the murderer. I loved how Vera brings them all together and figures out "who did it". I never guessed the ending. I want to hang out with Vera and try some of her "famous" tea.

Book two is coming out April 1, 2025: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man). I am really looking forward to it.

You may know Jesse Q. Sutanto for the Aunties books. I have not read those but may check them out.

https://jesseqsutantoauthor.com/

Enjoy your holidays and see you in 2025.