April Books

 Anna O by Matthew Blake -- Ben is a sleep specialist tasked with - hopefully - waking Anna Ogilvy who was found asleep beside two bloodied bodies. And she stayed asleep for over four years. With the help of the nurse Harriet and his ex wife Claire, Ben seeks to help Anna and the minister of justice because Anna needs to be held accountable for crimes she most likely committed. 

Huguette by Cara Black -- DNF; I read not quite half of this "novel of liberation" (think post-World War II), but didn't like it enough to keep reading. 

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen -- A book club of ladies who buy the books, but don't read them. Instead Polly, Sarah, Jamie, and Helen enjoy one another's company, their struggles (Polly realllly wants a baby) and such. Pretty good story about friends. 

The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. Bell -- Lily is a bookbinder who discovers a partial letter hidden in a book, and she's determined to find out more. She struggles with her father's debts, her job, her lovelife, and the fact someone else is just as intent on discovering these books - and that person is willing to kill for those pages! 

The Secret Room by Jane Casey -- Last year I caught up with all the Maeve Kerrigan books in the library so that I was On Hold for the latest book which finally arrived for me this month. Maeve and her team are trying to figure out the murder of a lady who always booked a certain room in a nice hotel. Also Josh Derwent is in the hot seat when his It's Complicated girlfriend ends up in the hospital and accuses him of putting her there - yikes!  Maeve does her best to find out the truth concerning Melissa's accusations. This book has a "the readers asked for this" kind of ending. 

We Don't Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry -- As a child visiting her grandmother in Raleigh, Sydney finds old childhood dresses and a photograph of a teenage girl she never met. When she asked Grammy who the girl was, her grandmother said "we don't talk about Carol." Fast forward many years and Sydney is back in Raleigh cleaning out her grandmother's house with her mom and sister. This time, she delves into the mystery of Carol, her aunt who went missing at age 17. When she finds out a few other Black girls went missing around that time, Syd wants to revive the effort to find out what happened to them. 

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney -- Birdy returns to her childhood hometown when she inherits her grandmother's house. There she helps solve the mystery of Eden Fox and an imposter pretending to be Eden. Pretty good. 

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden -- A good revenge story, and a quick read. Debbie seeks to right wrongs done to herself and her family. Pretty cute. 

The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear -- The book starts with Kezia anticipating her upcoming wedding to her best friend's younger brother Tom. Meanwhile the best friend Dorrit who now wants to be called Thea is teaching and also marching for women's rights. All of this as the first world war impacts their lives. As Tom goes to France to fight against the Germans, Kezia manages their farm. She makes up dishes "for Tom" as she writes him, and his fellow soldiers enjoy thinking of the dishes Kezia makes. Tom wonders if she's really eating all those things, or is this just Kezia's imagination. 

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara -- In a fit of irritation, Susan sends a scathing text to her sisters' WhatsApp group about a neighbor, only to realize a bit later that she accidentally sent it to the whole neighborhood group. Though she deletes it, the damage is done as her post was screenshot and widely shared. When people are murdered Susan wonders if someone were trying to target her. 

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James -- If you like stories about haunted houses, you might enjoy this book. Siblings Violet, Vail, and Dodie meet at their childhood house after their little brother Ben wants them to come back for him. Ben disappeared at age 6, twenty years prior, and the siblings have wondered about their beloved little brother ever since. Not my favorite. 

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg -- Flo is 92 and has about a month to live, according to her doctor. She decides to write a letter to Ruthie, the girl who grew up beside her years ago. She reveals what certain things mean to her by telling stories of her marriage. Sweet book. 

In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka -- Gus gets a job with her former friend's parents, walking their dog. Meanwhile Mary is out there somewhere, and Jean, the therapist, is suing Mary's parents for defamation. This book alternates between the court case, plus some two years earlier when Gus met Mary in Rome. An OK book. 

HBD, SRFT! ;) LOL! 

March Books

 The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller -- Another book featuring private investigator Hazel Cho. After the success of the case presented in the first book of this series (see last month), Hazel's expanded her company to include an assistant or two. Hazel and her team are asked to help a young man who was arrested for murdering a local priest. This book involves the poison one gets from puffer fish as well as people receiving red letters with Bible verses. There was a section in chapter 31 and 32 that brought me to tears as Hazel went through a great loss, and it just hit me hard as we traveled to the mountains on the first day of the month. 

The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony -- Such an interesting look at Irish women and their struggles before contraception was legal in their country. Really enjoyed this book featuring Maura and Bernie's friendship! 

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli -- Imagine being a bus driver when your bus is detoured only to find out criminals forced you down this path. And you and the children are forced into an underground bunker while the criminals seek money.  This book is based on a true crime. 

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild -- Honor is desperate for another baby, and wants to find out if the surrogate they've chosen is pregnant. Meanwhile Tom is so tired of Honor talking about this topic. Can't you just enjoy Christmas with the lovely child you already have?!  When something life changing happens in Paris, Tom finds himself living for Henry - and looking for Grace. 

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris -- Elle was infamous in her young twenties so she changed her name to Nell and moved to another part of England. When she feels her past has caught up with her, she is determined not to be killed by her stalker. Thank goodness she has a few good friends, though she wonders if her boyfriend Alex is on the up and up. 

Seven Exes by Lucy Vine -- A more light-hearted book between a couple of thrillers. Esther is lamenting her lack of a partner while in a bar with her best friends. She sees an old copy of a magazine that mentions the seven types of relationships and realizes one of her exes fit each of them. She is determined to contact each of them to see if one of them was her true love that she let get away. 

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall -- Audrey is a search and rescue expert intrigued with missing girls, including her friend Janie. Did Janie leave town to start new or did something happen to her?  Meanwhile Stranger is trying her best to break away from someone who is keeping her locked away. How many girls has this monster destroyed?

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson -- My library recently got this first book of the Jackson Brodie series - it's from 2005, but since it was listed as a New Book, I put it on hold. I read a book featuring him a couple years ago, and didn't know the backstories so it was nice to be properly introduced to him. Brodie is a former police officer turned private investigator. In this book he helps sisters Julia and Amelia who want to find out what happened years ago to their little sister; he helps Theo who lost his daughter Laura to murder; and he helps a couple other people with their own mysteries to solve.  

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins -- Geneva runs her parents' inn, and welcomes August for a stay as he interviews (in)famous local Lo (short for Gloria) about why she was accused of murdering her boyfriend, Landon, forty years ago. This book deals a lot with hurricanes, and what storms can hide. 

What Boys Learn by Andromeda Romano-Lax -- Abby is a counselor at a private school. She's on soft suspension when two girls are found dead. Meanwhile she is concerned about her son, Benjamin, and his possible connection to Izzy and Sidney. When a former professor, Dr. Campbell, makes her acquaintance at the pool, she asks him to talk with Benjamin. Pretty interesting book! 

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain -- Pretty good story following the perspectives of neighbors, Rebecca, the ER doctor who desperately wants a child; Whitney, mom of three who seems to have a lovely life; Blair, a wonderful mom who has a straying husband; and Myra, the Portuguese immigrant who has been in the neighborhood the longest. 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett -- Stella and Desiree are light-skinned Black girls in a small town in Louisiana. When they finally leave their home for the big city, one decides to pass as white leaving her twin behind. This book follows their stories and their daughters Jude, who is very dark skinned, as well as Kennedy, who is fair-haired like her father. Interesting story. 

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee -- Sara and her college roommates have this long-held tradition of playing a "killing" game. It starts around the first of the year, and this year Sara doesn't want to play. She thinks this tradition needs to be retired. When talking to her friends, they decide to do one final game because a decent amount of money is involved. I liked some parts of this book, but didn't really get this "killing" game and why it was even a thing. Heh. 

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger -- This book deals with flowers and herbs - medicine in the correct doses; poison if used differently. Vera is the older sister in charge of keeping tabs on her reckless little sister, Ana. When Ana's ex boyfriend dies and the detective (whom Ana met on an anonymous app) starts questioning them, Vera seeks to help. 

The Girl in HIs Shadow by Audrey Blake -- Nora is really good at medical procedures, but she lives in a place and time where it's illegal for women to do some of the things she's perfected. Thankfully she's a ward of a doctor who loves teaching her these things, but when another doctor joins the clinic, Nora isn't sure if he'll be okay with her doing these illegal acts of healing.  It's the second time I read this book. I thought the topic seemed familiar, but I'd forgotten so much of it that it felt like a new book..ha! 

Haven't Killed in Years by Amy K. Green -- Gwen is startled when she arrives home and finds a box waiting for her. Inside is an arm! Yes, a man's left arm. Worse than that, the box contains a note with her real name on it. But Gwen's name was legally changed when she was 9 years old and her parents were imprisoned. As she races around trying to figure out who knows her secrets, she tries to figure out who to trust. And is she even trustworthy? 

What Happened that Night by Nicci French -- When Tyler is released from prison after serving nearly 29 years, he wants to reunite with the friends who were with him the weekend that changed everything. Beatrice agrees to host the event though she's not optimistic how things will turn out. What gathers is a bunch of middle-aged folks and, well, one of them winds up dead. Dang. 

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino -- Imagine being so desperate for a house - because you were outbid eleven times already - that you'd sink to stalkerish behavior. Well, meet Margo who does a bit of that while trying to secure the perfect house for her and her husband. Pretty cute book.

The Clinic by Cate Quinn -- The author starts with a note about this being the first book she's written while sober, and this story follows Meg as she checks into a luxury rehab clinic where celebrities tend to go. She's trying to find out what happened to her famous sister Haley. 

February Books

 Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen -- Anne is a surgeon's daughter who is hired as a nurse for Lady Celia. There she meets with friends from her youth and such. 

My Other Heart by Emma Nanami Strenner -- A good story about Mimi who was on her way home when her baby daughter was stolen at a Philadelphia airport. The book follows Kit and Sabrina's stories along with perspectives from Sally and Mimi. I enjoyed Kit's travel to Japan to find out more about her origins, as well as Sabrina's perspective as the daughter of a single mother from China. 

Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury -- Final book in the Angels Walking series; It features all the characters from the first two books. Mary Catherine is headed to Uganda despite her health while Marcus wants her to marry him when she gets home. Meanwhile Lexy is struggling with her need to fit in the neighborhood gang. 

The Bridesmaid by Cate Quinn -- Holly is a forensic scientist called to the site of a wedding where she has to figure out who killed a bridesmaid. Meanwhile Adrianna is determined that her wedding will go forward as planned. 

The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller -- I enjoyed this mystery featuring 30 year old Korean-American, Hazel, who lives in New York City with her childhood friend-turned-roommate Kenny. Hazel is a private investigator hired by Madeline to find out what happened to her goddaughter Mia who disappeared from a children's home by Lake George. 

The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter -- Shelby is stunned when she finds out at her grandma's will reading that she left just under half the shop to her former boyfriend Gray. Is Gram trying to reconcile them from the grave? 

Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell -- I wasn't sure about this book when I plucked it off the New Books shelf at the library, but I enjoyed it! Lexie wanted to be a therapist, but time and money held her back. Instead she started working for a startup company focusing on bringing folks together for love. Her boss put her in charge of an interesting group: those whose scores deemed them as psychopaths...wow.  

A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake -- Olivia is a memory expert in London who travels to Paris when her Gran has some issues with dementia and confesses to a murder after the last world war. Pretty good story. 

That's Not How It Happened by Craig Thomas -- Imagine writing a memoir about your life as a mom to a son with Down's syndrome, and that book being made into a movie. That's what this book is about, and it features the perspectives of Paige, the mom; Rob, her screenwriter husband; and her children Emmett and Darcy. I don't often find myself chuckling out loud while reading, but there were a few places in this book where I did find myself laughing. It has a lot of language (I don't care for that), but overall the book is good and different.

Blade by Wendy Walker -- I found this a fitting book to read just after I watched quite a bit of figure skating at the Winter Olympics taking place in Milano Cortina. Ana is now a lawyer who specializes in defending children accused of committing crimes. When she's called to help Grace at a skate-training facility in Colorado, it brings back memories of when she was thirteen and dropped off there to live as one of the Orphans. This book alternates between the present day and her time there. 

High Season by Katie Bishop -- When Nina was five she witnessed something that made a former babysitter go to prison for ten years. Twenty years have passed, and Nina is questioning her memories. Was Josie wrongly accused of killing Nina's older sister, Tamara, during that long-ago summer in France? 

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage -- Lexi's life changed drastically when her father and brother were killed on a skiing trip. Suddenly her life in Tasmania - where she was halfway through a residency as a medical doctor - is no more. She is needed back in England where she has to decide whether or not to become the next in line to the throne! 

HBD, DBFIII! I<3U! 

January Books

 The Mad Wife by Meagan Church -- Lulu is a 1950s housewife living the best life - or trying to. But the pressures of life get to be too much after the birth of her second child, Esther. When her husband tries to help, well...what do men know about the pressures of the stay-at-home mom? 

The Intruder by Freida McFadden -- Casey is hunkering down in her remote cabin in the woods when she thinks she sees a face outside. Later she finds a young teenager, Eleanor, who seems to be on the run. Alternating between Casey now, and Ella "then," this was a fast read on this pretty day in early January. 

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker -- A virus that puts its victims into a deep sleep runs through a small California town. This book explores how it affects certain people. I thought for sure this was written post-covid 19 pandemic, but it was published in 2019.

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf -- Jamie returns to Nightjar, Wyoming, as an ATF agent and is called to a ranch after a gender-reveal party ends in disaster. Meanwhile the hosts Madeline and Wes are questioned about why someone would want them or one of their guests dead. Pretty good. 

Heart.Life.Music by Kenny Chesney -- I saw this in the new books section when I was looking for other books, and thought I'd give this memoir a read. I didn't realize he was from the Smoky Mountains (near Knoxville, TN). 

Hell by Eitan Bar -- "Uncover the true meaning of 'hell' by studying it in its original context!" This book is written by a Jewish Israeli who believes in Jesus as his Messiah. He explains how people back in the day would have understood phrases and words that we've made into this doctrine of hellfire, especially the one with eternal conscious torment. I got this book for Christmas after my friend Marcus told me he was listening to it. I've discussed it a bit with him. 

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall -- Years after their parents were killed, sisters Juliette, Emma, and Daphne are still estranged, but when Emma and her husband return to the old home place, the sisters see each other again. Emma is still under a cloud of suspicion which makes Nathan wonder about this woman he married...naturally. 

Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury -- Recently my mom was cleaning her closet and returned several books that she said I'd given her to read a few years ago. There were a few I didn't recognize as having read so before I give them away, I decided to read them. I used to read a lot of this author's books, but hadn't in several years. This is part of the Angels Walking Series. Tyler skipped college in order to play baseball professionally, but a shoulder injury leaves him in dire straits. His former girlfriend Sami, meanwhile, is living a good life in California. A sweet, clean, predictable book, with a good reminder about God's grace. 

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell -- If you enjoy time travel and magical hotels, this book might be a good read for you. Eve discovers these magical keys that allow her to travel back a few decades. Not my favorite type of book. 

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf -- Allison is released from prison early due to good behavior, but getting back into the world is tough. She really wants to reconnect with her little sister Brynn. Meanwhile Charm is taking care of her stepfather Gus, and they remember the little boy they saved years ago. 

My Sister's Daughter by Liv Constantine -- This and the next one are thriller novellas, part of the same book (222 pages total.)  When Ashley's sister is killed in an accident, she takes her daughter into her household. Strange things start happening. Is Serena causing this or is her daughter Luna acting out of jealousy? 

Silent Echo by Liv Constantine -- When Charlotte's little boy is part of a tragic school accident, she can hardly cope. Several months later she sees a photo online and is convinced Sebastion is still alive, but in another state! 

Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury -- This is part of the Angels Walking Series mentioned above. It's a pretty easy read during these weird days of Andrew's mom being under hospice care and spending time with his family and some friends dropping by. I've read bits of it most days recently. Mary Catherine and Marcus were in book one of this series though the focus was on their friends Sami and Tyler in book one. Well, this story focuses on them...surprise, surprise.