The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger and A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple

 Well the heat is on here. I also am attempting to plant some butterfly attracting plants and once again it is me against the deer and now the early heat. 

Trying to get back on track with my books! 

For our May Mystery Book Club, we read:

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. It was a 2023 Goodreads nominee for Readers Favorite Mystery and Thriller. 

About: "On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.

Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.

Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of midcentury American life, The River We Remember is an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home."

If you have never read a book by this author, I highly recommend William Kent Krueger. His writing is very good. His writing style is not the quick, fast paced, few words of many thrillers, but more of a slowly unwinding tale. This story has many characters and layers to it but I did not find it hard to follow. Great description of small town life but this town of Jewel Minnesota has a lot of dark secrets. While the story does wrap up the mystery, there are alot of tragedies, past and present. 

All in all the book club liked it and we had a good discussion about the characters and small town life. Several of us had read other books by this author.

The author is pretty interesting too. You can read about him and his other novels here: 

https://williamkentkrueger.com/

If you are looking for a cozy summer beach read, I just finished:

A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple (pen name)

About: "After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget.

What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation.

When a mysterious boat appears on the beach and a body turns up at the exclusive Whale Watch Weekend picnic, all eyes turn to the cliffs—and to the secrets the village has been keeping. As Ryan and Iris dig into the tangled history of the victim, long-buried truths begin to surface, not just about the case... but about the night Ryan’s own husband died.

With the tide cutting them off, a killer on the loose, and a very observant dog named Bracken by their side, Ryan and Iris must work fast—because in Flamborough, the past doesn’t stay buried, and the sea has a habit of washing everything to shore.

For fans of twisty village whodunits, seaside charm, and heartfelt mysteries with a slow-burning emotional pull, A Whale of a Crime is the unforgettable first instalment in a brand-new series."

Good start to this English village on the sea cozy mystery. Not a fluffy cozy but a story with murder, secrets and past mysteries yet unsolved. Iris is a feisty smart bookshop owner who lives on the seaside village of Flamborough. Harlow is her grand daughter that lives with her. Ryan is her grandson who left the village years ago for the city life in London but has returned for a visit with his very perceptive dog Bracken. The village is planning the annual Whale Watch weekend. When the local villain Vic, turns up dead on the beach during the Whale Watch Picnic, gossip runs rampant about missing funds. Iris begins sleuthing and Bracken does a pretty good job of it too. There is another story thread about the mysterious death of Ryan's husband, Jason, a musician, years ago. I like how the author inserts a social media thread about the death of Ryan's husband; the speculation and gossip. True to social media. As the investigation escalates, there is another suspicious death. The ending is very good with an intriguing cliff hanger re: the death of Jason. And on the last few pages, someone from Ryan's past shows up. Unidentified and Ryan is very surprised! We don't know if good surprised or bad surprised. Looking forward to the next book in this series. 

Flamborough is a real place on the sea in England, by the way. Here is a picture of possibly the main square.

Read about Mona here:

https://monamarple.com/

Mona Marple writes several different cozy series; some magical, some humorous and more of traditional mysteries. She also has a very active fun Facebook group if you would like to check that out:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/332562544209625

Masterpiece Mystery - What's coming up!

The Masterpiece Mystery lineup has been announced and I am counting down the days for the new lineup to begin. 

To be fair, I do watch other shows on PBS/Masterpiece. But I mostly watch the mysteries. I am currently watching Miss Austen. Not a mystery but I did like some of Jane Austen's books and the made for T.V. movies that came from them. I also watched Wolf Hall. Those awful clothes! Can you imagine wearing all of that all of the time? And the same things over and over. They didn't have washing machines or dry cleaners back then and I don't think they took a lot of baths...I really got hung up on the clothes more than the story.

Give me a good mystery series to watch any day.

1. Grantchester; Returns June 15th 2025, with season 10. Such a good series even though they have changed the vicar a few times. It always takes me awhile to get used to the new one. Looks like all of the other favorite characters/actors are returning.

About: "Longtime crowd-pleaser Grantchester will return for an impressive 10th season, with regular cast and characters all back in action, including that charismatic new vicar who’s caught our eye—Rev. Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair). Alphy injects fresh storylines and vibrant energy to a whole new set of crimes that need solving alongside DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green). Grantchester is a “winning combination of a delightful and appealing amateur sleuth, articulate writing, and engaging mysteries to solve,” according to TV Guide."

2. The Marlow Murder Club; Season 2, August 24, 2025. So glad they are having another season of this series.

About: "This miniseries is a perfect fit for those seeking more light-hearted British mysteries. It literally whisks viewers away to an idyllic British town and has fun with a trio of sideline sleuths—a retired archaeologist, well-connect vicar’s wife, and dog walker with access to her clients’ homes—who take it upon themselves to solve local murders. “Peak cozy murder mystery material,” says Decider. Samantha Bond leads the cast in this adaptation of the bestselling book series by Robert Thorogood, who also created Death in Paradise."

3. Unforgotten: Season 6, August 24, 2025 on after The Marlow Murder Club. 

About: "In this long running, critically acclaimed show, veteran London detectives played by Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sinéad Keenan unravel the truth behind a single cold case murder from the past. Suspenseful and slow-building character arcs across an entire season elevate the show’s procedural premise, letting viewers get to know suspects (and victims) more deeply. “The beauty of this drama is the way it allows us to emotionally invest in both police and suspects,” says The Times (UK).

4. Maigret: New series. Air date not yet announced. 

About: "MASTERPIECE will bring a brand-new and contemporary adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved novels about streetwise Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret to the small screen. (Simenon’s Maigret books are the second best-selling detective series ever, behind only Sherlock Holmes.) Jules Maigret’s unique superpower is his deep compassion for victims and suspects alike and his patient immersion into the environment of a crime, all of which lead to profound insights that we can’t wait to see play out. Benjamin Wainwright will lead an ensemble cast. 

5. Gold: New series. Air date not yet announced.

About: "Hugh Bonneville will return to MASTERPIECE in this critically acclaimed true crime drama recounting one of Britain’s largest and most notorious heists. The show dramatizes the events surrounding the theft of nearly £26 million in gold bullion as well as the crime’s complex and high-stakes aftermath affecting the thieves and law enforcement alike."

I liked Mr. Bates vs The Post Office and am intrigued they are doing another show based on a true event.

You can read more about these shows here;

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/airing-on-masterpiece-in-2025-and-beyond/

Anxiously awaiting...

Malice Domestic and other Book Awards 2025

 Happy Spring! I have neglected my site here. I did have some time off work and family visiting. Also been trying to ORGANIZE. You name it, I am trying to organize it.

As I am looking ahead to the Mystery Book Club's summer reading, I am reminded we always read Award Winning/Nominated mysteries, of 2025.

The weekend of April 25 was Malice Domestic in Maryland. This is the event that chooses the Agatha Award Winners. That event seems to be the most publicized. That is the one I hear about first anyway. 

"The Agatha Award is named in honor of Agatha Christie, are nominated and voted on by Malice Domestic fans. The Agatha Awards honor the traditional mystery—books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex or excessive gore or violence; and usually (but not limited to) featuring an amateur detective, a confined setting, and characters who know one another. Agatha Awards are awarded for works first published in the United States by a living author during a calendar year."

There are several categories and I will share the winners of the categories under the Agatha Awards here.

Best Contemporary Novel: The Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

This is book three in this author's Secret Staircase Mysteries. These are locked room mysteries. I have read one of her short locked room mysteries, The Ghost of Tanglewood Inn and I have read several books in her series, The Accidental Alchemist. I did like them all, just that so many books thing.

Best Historical Novel: To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower. 

Based on true history, this is a book about the Wright Brothers’ real-life sister. This author also wrote a historical fiction about Emily Dickenson. I have read all of those and really liked them. She won an Agatha in 2022 for Because I Could Not Stop For Death, book two in the Emily Dickenson books.

Best First Novel: You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen

This is a debut thriller and while I have not read it, it does sound good!

Best Short Story: Better Off Dead by Barb Goffman

Best Non-Fiction:  Writing the Cozy Mystery...by Phyllis M. Betz

Best Childrens/Young Adult: Sasquatch of Harriman Lake by K.B. Jackson

One other award that has been given to date are the Edgar Awards, named in honor of Edgar Allan Poe.

Best Mystery Novel: The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell

Best First Novel By an American Author; Holy City by Henry Wise

Best Paperback Original: The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle (This was nominated under other awards too,)

There are more Edgars and the Lefty's have also been awarded. They are voted on by the Left Coast Crime Convention attendees each year.

Whew! You get the idea. 

You can find these books and other winners at Stop You're Killing Me. This is a  great website to find all kinds of mysteries. 

Because I am sure you do not have enough mysteries to read. 😁

https://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Awards/index.html

Holmes Marple & Poe, The Grey Wolf and Murder on Mulberry Bend

Mid April already! We are having some really nice weather here. It will be replaced soon by hot hot weather I suppose. (In case you are one of those that had snow this morning and think I am bragging).  I have had a little trouble with this site so will try to catch up.

For our April Mystery Book Club, we read 

Holmes, Marple & Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts. It is book #1 in a newish series.

About: "The three detectives make a formidable team, solving a series of seemingly impossible crimes which expose the dark underbelly of the city; from priceless art theft, a high-stakes kidnapping, and a decades-old unsolved murder, to a gruesome subterranean prison, and corruption and bribery at the highest levels of power.

But it's not long before their headline-grabbing breakthroughs, unconventional methods - and untraceable pasts - attract the attention of the NYPD and the FBI.

After all, it's no surprise that there's a mystery or two to unravel in the city that never sleeps . . . not least, who really are Holmes, Marple and Poe?"

Everyone in the book club enjoyed this first book. The three detectives get more cases right away then they were prepared for but tackle them. Each of the three have certain strengths and also certain flaws. There are similarities to characteristics of their "namesakes". There is  a play on other famous authors and characters. (See if you can find them.) There is some humor also, although the cases they are working on are dark. An unsolved mystery is who are these three really? Are these their real names? 

Most agreed they want to read the next book in the series to find out more about the characters.

Book #2 is Holmes is Missing and came out in January 2025.

If you want to read more about James Patterson and books written with Brian Sitts, start here: https://www.jamespatterson.com/landing-page/james-patterson-home/

I also finished The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny. This book is #19 in the Armand Gamache series.

About: "Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Though the tiny Québec village is impossible to find on any map, someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin The Grey Wolf, the nineteenth novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times bestselling series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "This might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list—and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Armand Gamache; Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command; and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the enormity of the creature they’re chasing becomes clear. If they fail, the devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the smallest of villages."

I am a fan of this series and have read all of the books in the series. Great writing as usual. The subject matter is very serious and dark though. Very intense at the end and quite the cliff hanger for book #20, The Black Wolf coming out 10/28/25. I did miss not having as much of the other characters from Three Pines in this book. Maybe next book. I would recommend this series to anyone who has not read it and looking for a series they can get into.

I also just finished Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson, book #5 of the Gaslight Mystery series. 

About: "Sarah Brandt, a midwife in turn-of-the-century New York City, has seen more than her share of joy and sorrow, birth and death. Now she will see for the first time how the squalor of the streets can breed madness and murder…

The Prodigal Son Mission on Mulberry Bend stands as a refuge for girls who otherwise would have to live by selling the only thing they have of value—themselves. The work being done there so impresses Sarah that she volunteers to help out however she can—with clothes, with medical assistance, with the organization of a benefit dinner. And when one of the girls is found dead and refused burial because of her former life, Sarah’s passion for justice is aroused.

Reluctantly, Sergeant Frank Malloy agrees to look into the death, if only to keep Sarah from endangering herself by pursuing the matter. But Sarah cannot be kept out of the investigation—and just as Malloy feared, her attempts to find the cause of the unfortunate girl’s death in the circumstances of her life put her in deadly danger—from an unexpected source…"

I am really enjoying this series which I would say is a traditional mystery. The characters are interesting and the character development is good. Sara is a character you can root for. The chemistry between Sara and Frank Malloy keeps you hanging. This is also a historical mystery and talks about the culture of the time. If you are a fan of Scarlett and The Duke, you would like this series.  I have recommended it to several people and they have loved it, some even finishing the series in a few months! To date there are 27 books in this series. Victoria Thompson passed in 2024. Originally I saw a note that book 28 was in process and her daughter (a writer) would be finishing it. Not sure if that was fact or speculation. I don't see that comment now. We will have to wait and see. An excellent series.

https://victoriathompson.com/

Have you tried using Copilot? There is lots of buzz at my work place about it and we were introduced to it. I used it on my last post but not this one. Well I did put it in Copilot and did like the changes it came back with. I may try it again next time but this post is truly my own. :)

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?