Christmas Themed Mysteries, MBC Best of 2020 and Subscription Box 2

 

Happy Holidays! 

This will be my last post for this year. Always such a busy time of year even when we can't really go anywhere it seems. 

For our December Mystery Book Club (MBC) this year, our theme was mysteries with a Christmas theme. Usually we have a wonderful pot luck, book exchange and just share our favorite books for the year. Luckily we have been able to meet virtually but we missed our usual festivities.

Here are the Christmas themed mysteries and our favorites from 2020.

Remember I told you about a subscription to Strand Book Store in New York that I got? Here is a picture of my second quarterly box. 

There is actually three books. One is a hardcover. The larger book is two paperbacks in one. When you turn it over, it is another book. 

In The Cage Where Your Savior Hides and A Lind of Forgotten Blood by Malcom Mackay.

About: Saviours: (Two Novels in One)

An unlicensed private investigator fights crime and corruption in a Scottish city, burdened with a history that is compellingly different from the one we think we know. SAVIORS is two novels in one volume, a thrilling new series by award-winning author Malcolm Mackay.

Darian Ross is a young PI struggling against his family legacy (father in prison, criminal brother) in the independent kingdom of Scotland. In earlier centuries, when the Scottish empire stretched all the way to Central America, Darian's home city was one of the country's busiest trading ports. But Scotland is not what it was, and the docks of Challaid are almost silent. The networks of power and corruption are all that survive of Challaid's glorious past.
In In the Cage Where Your Saviors Hide, Darian takes the case of the fascinating Maeve Campbell: her partner has been stabbed. The police are not very curious about the death of a man who laundered money for criminals, but Darian's innate sense of justice and his fascination with Maeve irrevocably draw him into her world, where no one can be trusted.
In A Line of Forgotten Blood, Police Constable Vinny Reno--both a friend and a valuable contact for Darian's unlicensed PI firm--is desperate for help in finding his missing ex-wife, and clearing his own name. A thread of a clue leads to one of Challaid's oldest, wealthiest banking families, the Sutherlands. But pulling one thread can unravel a whole tapestry, and soon things are moving too fast for even the most powerful people to control.

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Sportswood - A Pentecost and Parker Mystery Book 1

About: [Fortune Favors the Dead has] razor-sharp style, tons of flair, a snappy sense of humor, and all the most satisfying elements of a really good noir novel, plus plenty of original twists of its own.”—Tana French

A wildly charming and fast-paced mystery written with all the panache of the hardboiled classics, Fortune Favors the Dead introduces Pentecost and Parker, an audacious new detective duo for the ages.

It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation.
    Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home--her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed. But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins--the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.

They sound really good. Included in the box was a pair of funny circus socks, a cold brew coffee and a bottle of nice olive oil. I am enjoying this surprise every few month during this trying time.

Today I forgot a webinar I really wanted to take part in because of this same old day to day routine. I forgot what today was I guess even though I got a reminder email yesterday and I talked about the webinar yesterday. All the days are running together it seems. Luckily there is a recording. 

I hope you have a good holiday and here's to a better New Year! 

Don't Look In and The Forgotten Garden

 Happy Thanksgiving all! 

I finished an ebook and an audiobook last week that I wanted to share.

Don't Look In is the first book in a new series, Gus Young Thrillers, by Tom Saric.

About: 

"Psychiatrist Gus Young didn’t always see patients in the back of a hardware store. Before he came to rural Maine, he was a man with a past—past successes, past scandals... and past enemies. 

Now he lives in the woods, struggling with his memory, trying to reconcile with what little family he has left, and learning the secrets of his neighbors. One of those secrets is getting people killed.

When Wanda Flynn turns up dead, the police are interested in a number of Gus’s patients. Gus himself has suspicions, but when the evidence starts pointing in his direction he must discover who would have killed the troubled young woman, and do it without breaking the confidentiality of his practice.

His investigations will take him into the dark underbelly of the otherwise sleepy town, into his own past failings, and into the brutal path of revenge."

This was one of the best books I have read in awhile. The story grabbed me right away. It is very suspenseful and edgy. Gus is damaged. He is trying to lead a quiet life in this small town yet help people who need help. Gus seems to be having some memory problems though but he tries to cover this. When a patient, Wanda is found murdered, some things point to him, but he is sure he was not at her house, or was he? He doubts his memory. As the police seem more and more interested in him, he decides he needs to find out who killed Wanda himself. The key may be in his files and another patient. Fast paced, quick read. The ending was fantastic! Book two is coming out in 2021. 

Tom Saric has written two standalone thrillers also: Indicted and Compromised - international thrillers. 

"Tom Saric is an author from the Canadian prairies. He spent the summers of his youth on the Adriatic coast. During half of the week, he provides treatment to people affected by war. During the other half, he writes thrillers. He also watches hockey, drinks beer, and barbecues a mean beef brisket."

I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review.

I listened to: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. 

About: 

"A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, and a mystery. The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton.

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra’s life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace—the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century—Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself." 

I have read a couple other books by Kate Morton and really liked them. I am a fan of historical fiction. I also like books that have multiple time lines. I think it gives the book a "Somewhere in Time" feel. This story has quite a mystery; what happened to Nell - why was she left on the docks, did no one look for her, how did she grow up; who was Eliza Makepeace and what is her connection to Nell or the family at Blackhearst. (Not sure of the spelling since I listened to the book.)

I liked the book well enough. It is very long and therefore my listening time was broken up quite a bit. I had a little trouble keeping track of all of the characters because that I think. Warning; most of the characters are pretty undesirable. The ending was really good.

I have been watching Road Kill with Hugh Laurie on Masterpiece. It is more of a drama than a mystery, I would say but I am enjoying it. I am a big fan of Masterpiece.

Our Mystery Book Club will meet after Thanksgiving and we will be sharing holiday themed mysteries. I will in turn share those here.

Again, have a great Thanksgiving if you are in the US. Try to not think about you know what but stay safe!

The Long Call by Ann Cleeves and a few other Book Club recommendations

 Seems like I have been missing for a couple of weeks. I don't know where I have been though. I guess we lost an hour with the end of Daylight Savings time. Still working at home and missing interacting with people other than grocery store clerk, I think. Oh I lost a filling so I got to go to the dentist twice in a week. Oh boy. Anyhow...time to catch up on my books.

For the November Mystery Book Club, we read The Long Call (Two Rivers #1) by Ann Cleeves. This is a new series for the author.

About: "In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too. Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death. The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.

For the first time in 20 years, Ann Cleeves --international bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows-- embarks on a gripping new series."

I have watched a few episodes of Shetland and really liked it. I didn't get to watch more just because of time. I had not read Raven Black in our book club many years ago and liked it also.

I liked this book enough to want to read another in the series. I thought it was a good mystery and the characters and setting were interesting, with room to grow. I thought the backstory has some "modern day components i.e. Matthew has a husband, who works for a center that provides day care and life skill teaching for people with Down's syndrome. The story deals with aging parents of these people and their worries and hopes for them. Matthew being gay is an issue for the evangelical community he grew up in. He is a very likeable character, I thought. Good story on how he deals with the return to the community, how he leads the murder investigation and then another thing happens that doesn't seem like it is part of the murder, but he has to solve that also.

The other members of the book club mostly liked it. It seemed the people that had read the Vera series, didn't care for this book as much. Those of us that have not read many other books by this author, liked it. Maybe it is very different from her other books?

We then went on to share other books we have read and tv show recommendations. Here they are: 

1. Big Sky: television adaptation of The Highway by C.J. Box will start 11/17/20 on ABC as a new series.

2. Young Wallander is a new series on Netflix, for fans of the Wallander series. I did put it on my list.

3. Lockdown by Peter May: Well well well...

Lockdown is a 2020 mystery thriller by Scottish crime writer Peter May, set against the background of a deadly influenza pandemic. May wrote the novel in 2005, but it was rejected by publishers as being unrealistic. During the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns in 2020, the book was finally published.

We read Blackhouse in this group a few years ago.

4. You're in Big Trouble by Laura Lippman: Tess Monahan is in Austin Tx for this book in the series. Also recommended are her "standalones":  several of the characters in these books make appearances from other books. 

5. Murder in Cold Street by Sherry Thomas: the Lady Sherlock book 5

6. The Tenant by Katrine Engberg: takes place in Copenhagen, Korner/Werner #1 in a new suspense series.

7. Miss Scarlet and the Duke: Masterpiece theatre in 2021. 

Currently reading: Don't Look In, which I should be sharing about soon.

Broadcast for Murder, Murder in Devil's Cove, The Puccini Connection

 Brrr. We got a cold snap here with the lowest temps this time of year since 1925 or something like that. I had sworn I wasn't going to turn on the heat. The a.c. was just running over the weekend end. But I caved pretty quickly.

Here are three cozy mysteries that I read in the past couple of weeks. All are available now..

Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton - Sophie Kimball Mystery #7

J.C. Eaton is actually a husband and wife that write this series.

About:"In J.C. Eaton's seventh Sophie Kimball Mystery, Sophie's kooky mother, Harriet, is gearing up to become Arizona's newest radio star as the host of the Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour. But when she ends up broadcasting herself discovering a dead body live on air, it's up to the reluctant sleuth Sophie to find the killer...

Phee's mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least, that's how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club's Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona's KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station's programming director, in a closet--with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest.

The number one suspect is Howard's ex-girlfriend Sylvia Strattlemeyer who believed she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia's, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it's up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present."

Very good cozy mystery with lots of hilarious parts. There are two mysteries going on in the story: inventory from Home Products Plus that are disappearing and two people from the local radio station are murdered. The investigation group Sophie works for is working on the missing inventory. Sophie's mother Harriet, and her friend Myrna get an opportunity to have a radio show about books. When Harriet finds the first murder victim, this brings Harriet, her book club ladies and dog Streetman into the mix. Set in "Sun City West", the book is peppered with stereotypical but fun things about living in a retirement community. Harriet and her gang bring a lot of humor to the story. Sophie and her coworker/boyfriend Marshall try to solve both mysteries and call upon Harriet and her book club ladies for help, i.e. gossip, for clues. This is the first book in the series that I had read, and while you probably want to read them all, you can pick up from here. Enough background information is given to bring us up to this point. If you are familiar with Greater Tuna, you will be reminded of Tuna, Texas and the characters. Really a fun cozy.

Murder in Devil's Cove by Melisa Bourbon

About: "Every book tells two stories—one written on the pages with pen and ink, and one woven into the paper, a story of the soul. The Lane women have the gift of bibliomancy. They can read them both. Almost everyone in the Lane family line dies young. The gift of bibliomancy tells their story before the deaths happen. But Cassie Lane doesn’t see it as a gift. For her, it is a curse. As soon as she’s able, she leaves Laurel Point, Oregon, running from her past and her fate, ending up in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There she meets Leo Hawthorne and lives a perfect life with him in an old Sea Captain’s house.

Perfect, that is, until Leo vanishes at sea.

After an old copy of Moby Dick foretells Leo’s death, Cassie forbids all books from the lives of her children with Leo. But when twins Pippin and Gray discover a secret room where their father hid away books that were special to him, long forgotten secrets surface, an old crime comes to light, and everything Pippin thought she knew is turned upside down.

Now twenty-five years later, Pippin must learn how to be a bibliomancer if she is to figure out what happened to her father and stop another murder from happening in Devil’s Cove."

The element of bibliomancy adds a very different twist. How fun would that be to have that "gift"? Maybe not, as Pippin discovers. Really good story of Pippin and Grey coming back home to claim their family house. As they work to restore the house and their dad's boat, secrets about the past are revealed and Pippin's life may now be in danger. The writing is very good. Just the right amount of description - you can picture the village of Devil's Cove, the house and how it is being renovated and the people of the village. I am excited to read the next two books.

The Puccini Connection: A Milkwood Murder (An English Cozy Murder Mystery Novel)

About:  "An idyllic English village, a lovable heroine, and a Puccini-inspired murder. Who knew opera could be so deadly? British expat, Josie Monroe, returns to the idyllic village of Milkwood and finds herself chief suspect in a family murder. Surrounded by cricket greens, duck ponds and lies, Josie must discover the culprit if she wishes to return to the US and Lady Belle DeCorcy is just the pal to help her. Josie is a down-to-earth, classical music-loving pianist. Belle is a flighty, beautiful and slightly unhinged debutante, making the two amateur sleuths an unlikely and comically inept, team. As if Josie doesn’t have enough problems, she is also dealing with the “Witches of Milkwood,” an elderly trio convinced that Josie is the murderer and that Belle is one sandwich short of a picnic. Living with a cantankerous cat named Elgar and her aunt’s handsome, but seemingly untrustworthy, lodger, Josie is also coming to terms with resurging feelings for her childhood sweetheart, Detective Inspector Adam Ward. Luckily, tea and tenacity will see her through, even if every time Josie hears Puccini she risks discovering another body.

The Puccini Connection is a cozy English murder mystery with a classical music-loving amateur female sleuth in a picturesque English village with quirky, lovable characters and an extremely grumpy cat. No cliffhangers, gore, graphic violence, sex or overtly strong language."

This book is a very good English cozy mystery and really funny. Think Agatha Raisin. The mystery and story are good. The characters are quirky and interesting. Everyone is a suspect, and Josie wants to find out "whodunnit" so she can head back to Texas. She and her new, unlikely best friend Belle, are working on it. But Belle has some secrets of her own. Josie is a bit accident prone. Josie and Adam, the local detective went to school together as kids and have a bit of a past. That creates some interesting tension. Everyone in the village seems to be sneaking around each other, and as the story goes on, it seems like quite a few people must have been around Aunt Rose's house near the time of her murder. Who saw what? 

Did I mention the author is local to me? 

This is the first book in a new series and I highly recommend it. I will be looking for the second book in the series.

I received all of these books as ARC's and voluntarily provided these reviews. And I liked them all, honestly.

 

The Mirrors by E.F. Townsend - a little Halloweeny for this time of year

 I read The Mirrors by E.F. Townsend earlier this month and really liked it. It could be considered a ghost story, so it is fitting for this time of year.

The Mirrors is the first book in a new series - A Tori Hartley Mystery.

About:  "Is it a murderer or a ghost?
Tori Hartley rents out one of the magnificent old mansions in Old Louisville to Scott Mallory, who disappears without a trace. Facing an alarming lack of physical evidence, the police look to Scott’s blog, in which he claims to have been trying to contact a ghost by hanging hundreds of mirrors though out the house. Frantic to find her son, Scott’s mother hires a paranormal detective, Hal Breakspear. Tori finds an unlikely ally in Hal as together they investigate to determine if there truly is paranormal activity in the house, or if it only a ruse to hide a real crime by a flesh-and-blood murderer."

This description doesn't do this book justice. I found it gripping; a mesmerizing tale of ghosts, murder, historical fiction and romance. 

Tori is trying to start a new life in Louisville; owning an old, large mansion and renting it out, while buying and selling antiques.

 When the police are investigating the disappearance of her one and only renter, Scott, she finds that he has lined the long hallway with mirrors of all kinds. When Hal, a private investigator and paranormal investigator is called in, Tori inserts herself into the investigation. Scott's blog has some clues as to why all the mirrors, and hints about a ghost but it ended abruptly and now he is missing.

Lots of creepy, scary things happen during their investigations that made me jump. As Tori talks to the neighbors and historical experts of the area, many things are found out that may account for a haunting. BUT some other things are going on that point to something else. Very well written to keep you guessing and looking over your shoulder. 

I think this will be a good series. My guess is that Tori will join Hal in more of his investigations even though he prefers to work solo.

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily provided this review.

The Widows by Jess Montgomery

 Our Mystery Book Club read The Widows by Jess Montgomery for our October selection. 

I thought it was a good historical fiction/mystery and is the first book in The Kinship Series.

About: "Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town’s widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death. Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner’s widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter. From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena’s lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be—and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined. Inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women’s search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community. 

Inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women’s search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community."

I like historical novels for one.  This is based on Ohio's first female sheriff as it says.

This is Maude Collins. "Originally appointed to the job after her husband, Vinton County Sheriff Fletcher Collins, was murdered, Sheriff Maude (as she was called) was elected by an impressive majority the following year. During her groundbreaking tenure, Maude Collins not only transported a fair number of prisoners, she also took down moonshine stills, investigated five murders, and even took the former marshal of Hamden into custody after he was convicted of killing a suspect."

You can read more about her here: https://ohioec.org/ohio-cooperative-living/sheriff-maude-makes-history/#:~:text=Maude%20Collins%20was%20the%20first,the%20county's%20clerk%20of%20courts.

Now the book The Widows starts with the same incident but then brings in other things that were happening at the time; moonshine, mines and treatment of the workers, move to start unions, and treatment of women. It makes for a good story. 

Lily is determined to find out what happened to her husband, not buying the explanations others are giving her. She helped her husband in the jail and picked up on a thing or two. As Marvena's story entwines with hers, she doesn't know whether to be angry with Daniel or help Marvena. The story twists together more and more as the women pull together to save the town and it's people, risking their own lives.

I really liked it. In all fairness, the MBC had mixed reviews. Some loved it. Some thought it was a little long, but we agreed being a first book in a series, characters and backgrounds need to be set up. A couple of people had read the second book in the series, The Hollows and liked it. A third book, The Stills, is coming our March of 2021. 

About the author: Jess Montgomery

https://jessmontgomeryauthor.com/

"Under Jess's given name, she is a newspaper columnist, focusing on the literary life, authors and events of her native Dayton, Ohio for the Dayton Daily News. Her first novel in the Kinship Historical Mystery series, THE WIDOWS, garnered awards even before publication: Montgomery County (Ohio) Arts & Cultural District (MCAD) Artist Opportunity Grant (2018); Individual Excellence Award (2016) in Literary Arts from Ohio Arts Council; John E. Nance Writer in Residence at Thurber House (Columbus, Ohio) in 2014.

I recommend The Widows if you like historical mysteries with strong female characters and are looking for a new series.

Hallmark Mystery Movies Back?

 

I saw on one of my FB mystery book clubs, an announcement about a new Aurora Teagarden mystery movie coming up in November, so I went sleuthing.

October 11, 2020 8 p.m. central

Picture Perfect Mysteries: Exit Stage Death

" While backstage on opening night of a new play by celebrated murder mystery author/director Neil Khan, photographer Allie Adams discovers the body of the show’s leading lady, murdered before the curtain went up. As Willow Haven PD Detective Sam Acosta launches his investigation, he invites Allie – who has been helpful in solving his first two murder cases since joining the force -- to unofficially assist him on the. case. However, Allie’s involvement makes her a target for murder herself when she gets too close to the truth. Starring Alexa PenaVega, Carlos PenaVega and Willie Aames."

October 18, 2020 8 p.m. central

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and it Feels So Good

"Aurora's high school reunion turns deadly when a body is found in the hotel pool. Aurora and her Real Murders Club help investigate which classmate was most likely to kill. Stars Candace Cameron Bure, Niall Matter, and Marilu Henner."

That's all I can find out for now. Of course once "the holidays" are closer, for some reason they run all Christmas movies. Isn't there Christmas mystery movies.

All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny

 Gosh I feel like time is getting away from me and that I have been down the rabbit hole. Even though we are still working 100% at home, it seems we are back to our regular volume of work, which means I actually have to work the full eight hours or more to "get it done". On the home side, we have done a few more outings, of taking drives, a couple of masked visits, and football is back, so there is some of that to be watched. 

I listened to All the Devils Are Here on Audible and finished it a couple of weeks ago. Realized I didn't post to me Goodreads list or mention it here. 

I have read all of the books in the Inspector Gamache series and liked them all a lot. I have probably mentioned that the series is a favorite of most of the members in out Mystery Book Club.

This is the 16th book in the Gamache series.

About: " On their first night in Paris, the Gamaches gather as a family for a bistro dinner with Armand’s godfather, the billionaire Stephen Horowitz. Walking home together after the meal, they watch in horror as Stephen is knocked down and critically injured in what Gamache knows is no accident, but a deliberate attempt on the elderly man’s life. When a strange key is found in Stephen’s possession it sends Armand, his wife Reine-Marie, and his former second-in-command at the Sûreté, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from the top of the Tour d’Eiffel, to the bowels of the Paris Archives, from luxury hotels to odd, coded, works of art. It sends them deep into the secrets Armand’s godfather has kept for decades. A gruesome discovery in Stephen’s Paris apartment makes it clear the secrets are more rancid, the danger far greater and more imminent, than they realized. Soon the whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Gamache will have to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past. His own family. For even the City of Light casts long shadows. And in that darkness devils hide. "

As I mentioned, I listened to this book. The narrator, Robert Bathurst is very good. 

I thought it was a very good book in which we find out more about Gamache's childhood, and his struggles with his own son, Daniel. Meanwhile, the person that raised Armand, his godfather Stephen, is in critical condition and it is doubtful he will survive. As Armand investigates the hit and run, more questions are found rather than answers. And some seem to have a tie to Daniel. Complex story that will have you thinking. If you listen to it, you will want to listen to it within an not too long amount of time and without distraction. Or I would recommend reading the book. I found myself rewinding to refresh what had happened because I would leave it for the weekend or several days. It will keep you on your toes. 

Towards the end, things really pick up and there is a race to the end that will have you on the edge of your seat. And then a heart warming ending. 

Subscription box, a Halloween anthology and Burning Secrets

 As promised, here is what I got in my Mystery Subscription Box from Strand Bookstore.

One hardback book: Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden who is an enrolled citizen of the Sincagu Lakota tribe. I think it sounds really good and the author sounds interesting too.

"A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx." 

One paperback book: IQ by Joe Ide.  I did read this a couple of years ago, so will probably share it.

"A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores. East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch."

Four Short Stories: These are in the folded items on the left. They are short short stories but have very interesting pictures of art. If you open all of them and flip them over, they fit together to make one poster.

A carry bag from Strand: Their logo says "18 miles of books".

Earl Grey White Tea: Nice!

A Linda's Lollies Wild Cherry Pop

A little fun during this continuing saga.

I read one short story from a Halloween anthology, Pumpkins and Potions, so far. Apple Bobbing Horror by Mona Marple.

Cute, fast read about a Halloween party in the town of Mystic Springs - one of the series Mona writes. The other authors are listed below. Any you have read books by these authors?

About: "Bats, hats, and talking cats abound!

Are you ready for your annual dose of Halloween hijinx, magic, and mystery? Then brew up a cuppa, give your cauldron a stir, and carve out the time for some witchy fun in this holiday anthology.

Featuring loads of spooky tales brewed up by 16 of your favorite paranormal cozy mystery authors, including:

Tegan Maher, Misty Bane, Regina Welling and Erin Lynn, Leighann Dobbs, Samantha Silver, Ava Mallory, Stephanie Damore, Constance Barker, M.Z. Andrews, Mona Marple, Elle Adams, April Aasheim, Jenna St. James, Nikki Haverstock, K.M. Waller, and Amorette Anderson.'

Burning Secrets by Shawn McGuire - Whispering Pines Mystery book 11. Are you a Whispering Pines fan?

About: "Sheriff Jayne O’Shea is on edge. Hopeful applicants have taken over the commons area, all of them begging to become residents. Villagers who left long ago have returned, causing an uproar among the locals. The slow burn feud between the sister witches has reached the boiling point. And her parents are acting just plain weird. Fortunately, it’s time for the annual Beltane celebration, the last opportunity for everyone to gather before tourists invade the village for the summer. Attendees dance around the Maypole, decorate fairy chairs, weave witch ladders, and nibble Green Man cake. Good, innocent fun. Except, this year’s fire festival is being held during the driest spring the Northwoods has seen in a decade. And like bees to honey, the event has attracted an arsonist intent on burning the place to the ground one little fire at a time."

Backgound: This series takes place in the Northwoods of Wisc. (where my dad's family is from and where I lived as a kid and went to every summer to visit. Get the attraction?) Several towns that I know and inferences to others are mentioned and I get a kick out of that. 

Whispering Pines is a small village that is owned by Jayne O'Shea's parents, that was owned by Jaynes' grandmother. It is a village where visitors go in the summer to camp, stay in cabins, enjoy lake sports, partake of the homey cafes and shop at the unique shops. The villagers have lived there mostly all their lives. You cannot just move there. You have to go before the council and apply and be able to bring something to the village to sustain yourself and the village. Jayne came to the village after leaving a job in the police department in a big city and a break up with a fiance. She was voted Sheriff and plays a big part in the village. She started a B&B in her grandmother's house after a great deal of renovation.

In this book, the village is threatened in several ways; fire by an arsonist, sisters  Reva and Flavia are really feuding and causing a lot of unrest, and Jayne has a secret to tell the village which threatens the existence of the village and the villagers.

I would start at the beginning of this series as the back story is center in the series and relationships continue to develop. 

This book comes out September 28, 2020. (I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review)

Next: The Widows by Jess Montgomery. 

I hope you are all well, reading lots and keeping busy with things you like to do. 

Murder, Forgotten by Deb Richardson - Moore

 I got to read this very good mystery/thriller/suspense as an ARC.

About: "Julianna Burke, bestselling mystery novelist, has a secret that those closest to her are hiding from the world. Julianna is losing her memory, and with it her powerful gift for storytelling that propelled her to fame. A further devastating blow comes when Connor, Julianna’s beloved husband, is murdered. Even this is not something Julianna’s mind can hold on to, and every day her assistant has to break the heart-wrenching news all over again. Julianna is desperate to know what happened to her husband. As she battles her failing mind to investigate, a detail of the murder surfaces that makes Julianna question everything she’s ever known. Somehow she must fight to find the truth, even though her grip on reality is fading."

I really enjoyed this book. It takes place in South Carolina on Sullivan's Island. 

The author does a great job showing us what Juliana, a popular mystery writer, is thinking and what she can remember and can't remember day to day. The apparent beginnings of dementia. 

They mystery unfolds after Juliana finds her second husband, Connor, stabbed with a letter opener in his study. Her daughter Logan comes to stay with her. Margot is Juliana's assistant and lives with her. As the days go on after the memorial for Connor, Logan starts picking up clues to what maybe happened, who killed Connor. It had to be someone well known to the household because the dog Annabelle did not bark. Trouble is, everyone in the neighborhood, has a key to everyone's ones house in this close knit, well established neighborhood. But who has a key to Juliana's mind, to unlock what she is forgetting. 

As the days go on, everyone could be a suspect; including Logan's brother who has made it clear the house on the beach should be sold and a bundle made. Did Harrison want to get his stepfather out of the way and declare his mother incompetent? Was Connor having an affair and the lover's husband has taken revenge? Or the lover? Juliana in a moment of confusion? The answer may be in the latest novel Juliana is working on.

The story also shows the complicated relationships between family and friends, step-parents and step-children. The island setting adds to the mystique because it limits who the suspects could be and what could have happened. 

The pace really picks up as the another tragedy occurs and the investigation almost comes to a stop.

Very suspenseful ending. 

About Deb Richardson-Moore: Deb Richardson-Moore is a former journalist and former pastor of a church whose parishioners included homeless people. Those experiences combined in her first four books -- a 2012 memoir about her early years at the Triune Mercy Center, and the three-book Branigan Powers mystery series featuring a news reporter and a homeless man.

She has now turned to darker domestic thrillers with the release of "Murder, Forgotten" in 2020.

Deb lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband. They are the parents of three adult children.

She is also the author of The Brannigan Powers Mysteries and there are three books in that cozy mystery series.

This book comes out September 18, 2020.

I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review.

Checking in

 How are you doing? I believe we are right at six months of this stay at home, masks, etc. Wow. No one thought it would last this long. 

I did take an extra few days off with our holiday last week and we got out and about some. Meaning we got in the car and drove about 50 miles with our masks, disinfectant wipes and just looked around. We were surprised that i.e. Starbucks was still only drive through, Chik fil A was only drive through. We were leery of going it to eat anywhere actually. Finally on Monday we got brave and went into a restaurant to eat. No one at surrounding tables, all masks except to eat etc. 

Meanwhile, don't forget Van der Valk starts on Masterpiece Sunday 9/13/20 at 8 p.m. central time that is.

I am currently listening to All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny. Always so good. 

I am currently reading Murder Forgotten by by Deb Richardson Moore - an ARC of the book that comes out 9/18/20. It is very good and will post here soon. I would finish it tonight but there is a college football game on that I am going to watch.

I also have a couple more books on my table; The Widows by Jess Montgomery for our Mystery Book Club for October,  and a couple three other "read and reviews" for October.

I participated in a "help me write" small group. An author I have followed for her woman's literature series with a supernatural twist, asked if anyone on her mailing list wanted to participate in her "help me write" group for the prequel she was working on. There were four of us that took her up on the offer. She would send out a chapter or two and sometimes ask specific questions, sometimes general, for our opinion about the characters, the flow, the plot etc. We just finished that up this weekend. She actually took some of our ideas and incorporated them. It was a lot of fun.

What I am most excited about for this week is I received a notice that my MYSTERY SUBSCRIPTION BOX shipped! Yay! I almost thought I had missed out on it but it is happening. I will share about that too, when I get it.

Will post some books soon.

Gone Daddy Blues by Jane Tesh

 I completed this book for as a "read and review" book and really liked it.

Gone Daddy Blues is the seventh in the Grace Street Mysteries series by Jane Tesh. Have you read any in this series? I was not familiar with it but am interested to go back and read others. 

About: "Discouraged by a recent deadbeat dad case, PI David Randall wonders if he should close the detective agency he operates from his psychic friend Camden's boarding house at 302 Grace Street in Parkland, North Carolina. But Doreen Padgett, a scrappy teen, convinces him to find her useless father, Arliss. Arliss and Doreen's mother have divorced, and Doreen wants the man to pay what he owes her family. It's another deadbeat dad, but Randall agrees to take the case. Then policeman Jordan Finley comes to Grace Street with a blouse he wants Camden to touch. The blouse belongs to the victim of a suspected serial killer, a man with a bizarre fondness for blond hair. Camden has a serious reaction to the blouse, but can't see anything that will lead to the killer except a hatred for a woman named Margaret. Randall wants in on this case.Cam's wife Ellin is looking forward to her fifteen year high school reunion. Randall discovers Arliss Padgett was in her class and may attend the reunion, a good place to catch him. There is also a photo of a blond named Margaret and photos of boys who could fit the killer's description. When Cam has a reaction to a certain yearbook page, Randall knows he's on the right track. Of the two possibilities on the page, Bradley Wallace, former basketball star, seems most likely.Randall's girlfriend Kary, who loves going out in disguise, and her former school teacher mentor, Lottie, a slightly ditzy little woman who writes mystery novels, discover that Bradley Wallace was abandoned by his abusive mother and is dealing with rejection by stalking and killing women who ignore him, including Margaret Layton, the girl he lusted after in high school.Randall needs Cam's help, but Cam, always reluctant to use his psychic talent, has had an accident. While repairing the roof, he fell and lost his memory--or so it seems. Randall suspects Cam has convenient amnesia so he won't have to delve into the killer's mind. At the reunion, Arliss doesn't show, and Randall finds that Wallace has sent another man, Stuart King, in his place to find out more about Margaret. Randall doesn't know if Stuart is a harmless go-between or if he's part of Wallace's plan to kill Margaret. Where is Wallace hiding and how is he getting his information? Is there a connection to Arliss? Randall has to find the killer especially since he realizes that except for himself, everyone who lives at 302 Grace Street is blond.Gone Daddy Blues is the seventh in the Grace Street Mysteries, the continuing adventures of the family and friends who live at 302 Grace Street."

This was a delightful cozy mystery with a paranormal twist and a feel of film noir. 

The characters are all interesting and I love how the main characters live together in Cam's "boarding house". Even though some only barely tolerate each other, they can't do without each other. The story is solid with David looking for Doreen's deadbeat father who owes money to her mother and getting mixed up in that appears to be a serial killer. As the story goes, there seems to be a connection to the string of murders of women with blond hair and Arliss, Doreen's father. Cam and David get involved as Cam has some strong visions (that he would like to forget) and David's young daughter keeps urging him (from the other side) to help Doreen and also one of the victims that is with her. 

The story is peppered with hilarious banter between David and another housemate, Lottie, who fancies herself a mystery author, "what the British call crime novels". Trouble is Lottie just changes up the names of her friends and their escapades or famous novels and tout them as original fiction; i.e. "Dick and Dora, very rich...and a dog that helps them solve crimes" among others. (Nick and Nora from the 1940's movies). She often asks the other housemates to read her latest chapters and they try to provide encouragement while choking on laughter. But Lottie surprises them with some legitimate suggestions in solving the case. There actually is a lot of funny segments in the book. Everyone is afraid of Ellin, Cam's wife. Lottie and David's live in girlfriend Kary, often insert themselves into David's investigations, wearing disguises. In this story, they dress up as old ladies and borrow a car to add to the disguise.

Very good, ending with a good deal of tension. Some of the book reads like a '40's detective novel which I find fun. I really recommend this book. Quick enjoyable read.

About the author: "Jane Tesh lives and writes in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the real Mayberry. She is the author of the Grace Street Mystery Series, the Madeline Maclin Mysteries, four fantasy novels, and over thirty plays for children."

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily provided this review.

Couple of things to share

 I'm posting this with a heavy heart...

As much as I love reading and books, it takes up too much of my time and I am struggling to keep up with the everyday basics such as cleaning and maintaining my home, so something has to give. I will be re-homing my collection.

Please don't ask any questions as I can't handle talking about it.

Below is a list of what's available. All FREE of charge, but to good homes only. Serious inquiries only please.

Thanks for reading and understanding...

1. Dustpan and brush
2. Sponges
3. Dusters
4. Mop and bucket
5. Window cleaner
6. Vacuum cleaner
7. Dishwashing liquid
8. Laundry detergent
9. Fabric softener
10. Laundry baskets
11. Toilet brush
12. Cleaning sprays
13. Scrubbing brushes

As a book lover, did that get you for just a minute? I have seen it on social media and thought it was funny.

Another thing I came across was a post (from a person in one of the online book groups I belong to), about her book subscription box that she had received from Strand Bookstore in New York. She had a picture and it looked so wonderful. Not only did she get some books but also some miscellaneous items and COFFEE. The deal is the contents of the subscription boxes are SURPRISES. You pick out the genre you are interested in and if you want a one time box, a year of boxes (4) or continuing. Here's the scoop:

Strand Bookstore 

https://www.strandbooks.com/

There main location is at Broadway and 12th in NYC. They have new books, vintage books, merchandise, virtual author events etc. etc. 

Under Books and Media, choose Book Hookup. Within the body of the description there is a FAQ link.

https://www.strandbooks.com/books-media/bookhookup/faq

You can choose from 9 different genres.

Fiction, Young Adult, Art/Photography, Feminist Literature, Political Nonfiction, Mystery and Suspense, SciFi and Fantasy, Little Readers, and Classics.

I signed up for one. Guess which one? I am excited. Fun thing to do while the stay at home continues. Ugh. Not that I was out and about so much, but we are still not able to work in the office, which included talks with friends face to face, lunches, celebrations, not able to have face to face book club or genealogy club (glad to have online meetings) or the yearly vacation to visit family out of state. After the early days of ordering toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and cat supplies online, time to order something fun. I think these would make great gifts too.

I will let you know how I like it.