August Books

 The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- Sometimes after reading a couple of thriller/mysteries dealing with murders, you need something light and uncomplicated. This first book in the Cape Cod Creamery series talks a lot about ice cream, one of my favorite foods. After Dawn's wedding is called off, she takes her mom with her to Cape Cod where her impulsive mother, Marnie, decides to buy a filthy, run-down ice cream shop. Pretty cute story! 

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox -- It's Sophie's sweet 16 birthday party, and her dad and stepmom are hosting it at their huge house known to the locals as the haunted house. This follows the perspectives of Sophie's mom and stepmom, the nanny, and her best friend. Pretty good. 

Retreat by Krysten Ritter -- When Liz is hired to oversee the installation of a painting in Mexico, she is grateful for the week away where she can take a break from the con jobs that have her a bit worried. When she gets there, she decides for just one week she can be the owner - they resemble each other enough. Therefore, Liz becomes the ultra-wealthy Isabelle. What could go wrong? 

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day -- Three friends met at their lake houses when they were kids. Now that they are adults, they return each summer for two weeks - and they bring along their families. This year marks 30 years since a young lady disappeared. This happened before and the local lore is that the lake takes them. Will the pattern repeat? 

The Secret to Happiness by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- This is the second book in the Cape Cod Creamery series which I started earlier this month. Callie visits Cape Cod to live with her Aunt Marnie and cousin Dawn for a few weeks. I really liked the reminder of looking for the good in every day, and how we can rewire our thoughts and outlooks on life. Chapter 21 had some meaningful things to me: good reminders about God being with us in the scary places and times, Him not leaving us alone, and how He is completely faithful. The "confident peace" we can have because we can rest our minds on His presence. That chapter also challenged us about fear and its consequences. This was actually quite a light-reading book, but Callie had some deep-seated fears that were impacting her life, and a friend was helping her through this. 

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline -- Not too long after Julia's husband is killed, she decides to go to Italy because she inherited a villa. This book had a bit too much astrology for my tastes, but it was OK. I prefer some of her other books. 

Don't Open Your Eyes by Liv Constantine -- Only one of the Constantine sisters wrote this book (Lynne)....they use this name (Liv) as a pseudonym.  Anyway, Annabelle starts having these disturbing, vivid dreams and aspects of her dreams keep coming true so much that she tries to alter her days so that such and such won't happen. When she goes on a work trip with a new client, she tells him about this aspect of her life, and finds a willing listener who takes her seriously.  Pretty good story...fast read. 

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell -- After her father Paddy dies, Ash's mom receives a lovely condolence card and gift from Nick. She gradually gets to messaging him and he comes to visit. While he's charming and kind, Ash is suspicious. Meanwhile Martha is wondering why her husband Alistair keeps disappearing for days on his business trips. And Tara, too, wonders about Jonathan's work schedule. Pretty good. 

She Didn't See it Coming by Shari Lapena -- Sam is called at work when his wife is late picking up their daughter from daycare. He goes home and her purse, cell phone, and car are still in their condo, but where is Bryden? 

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner -- This book features Frankie Elkin, the lady who looks for lost people. She's in other books by this author.  This book had a different twist in that she was asked to locate a missing Afghan refugee. The book alternates between Frankie's search and the refugee, Sabera's, story. Fun bit is Frankie's pet-sitting gig with Petunia, an iguana; Marge, the ball python; and the baby pythons...yay. 

Love on a Whim by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- the last of the Cape Cod Creamery series. In this book Dawn's best friend, Brynn, comes to stay with them after she makes a rash decision and needs to think through things. While there she helps at the Creamery and also helps the Dixon family prepare for Linc's daughter's wedding. Linc's ex-wife is in charge and keeps changing things; that makes it all so challenging. 

I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones -- Nicole lives in California where she advocates for seals, and is shocked when a lady comes to visit asking to interview her about her life in England. She often thought that her past would catch up with her, but is unprepared for it finally happening. Back then she was friends with Ben, the lead singer of a rock group.

A Lesson In Propriety by Jen Turano -- First in the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies series; it's not terrible, but a DNF for me after about 90 pages. It has nearly 350 pages, and I just didn't find it all that interesting and wanted to start something new. 

Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey -- In between new library books that I had on hold, I'm still reading about Maeve Kerrigan and her team as they solve crimes in London. This one starts with Chloe arriving home and finding blood everywhere, but her mom is missing. Maeve, Josh, and the team try to piece together where Kate could be (or where her body is if she's been killed.) 

Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding -- While 76 year old Linda Davidson is visiting her best friend Carol in a memory care home, an older lady calls her over. She introduces herself as Jenny Cooper and tells Linda that she has a secret: she has killed people. Linda isn't sure whether or not to believe someone in a memory care home, but during subsequent visits to see Carol, she also talks with Jenny to hear more of her story. 

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose -- Sarah and Bob are at odds: Sarah wants to divorce him for cheating on her, and Bob is trying to reconcile. You get to read both of their perspectives, and also the sheriff and a few other characters. A pretty fast read. Although this is listed as one of her standalone novels in the front of the book,  I realized  later that this is a sequel to another book which I now have on hold. 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans -- This book features 70-something Sybil and letters and emails to and from friends, authors, and so forth. Through emails, Sybil becomes friends with a customer service rep at a DNA website; she corresponds with a troubled teen; she writes to her best friend who is also her ex-sister in law. It sounds a bit complicated to keep straight perhaps (and I did flip back pages a few times to remind myself of something), but it was a really cute book which I greatly enjoyed reading on this pretty afternoon - unseasonably cool with low humidity -  in late August! 

July Books

 The Kill by Jane Casey -- The library doesn't have the book just before this one in the Maeve Kerrigan series, but I followed most everything fine in this story dealing with police officers being targeted for killing. Maeve and her partner Derwent work together to figure things out. 

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers -- Jenna and Nic have something in common. Both of their sisters went missing from the same region a few years back. Jenna contacts Nic about pooling their resources and seeing if they can find anything new about what happened to Jules and Kasey.  

The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz -- Abby goes to a tiny island off Mexico's coast in search of answers. She is curious about the final days of her fiancée Eszter who died of anaphylaxis.  She meets a few expats and enjoys the company of those who knew Eszter. 

No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally -- Brooke is celebrating her acceptance to Yale with her best friend Jena when she's confronted by Brandon, the brother of a former friend who died. On the way home from the party, Brooke and Jena are nearly run down by a Bronco and Brooke thinks Brandon is trying to kill her. This was a mean-girl thriller, and not my favorite, but OK. 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin -- Lenni and Margot meet in a hospital in Glasgow, both are life-limited aka terminal. The two meet by chance, but form a friendship in the art therapy room. When Lenni realizes she's 17 to Margot's 83, she has an idea to paint and write about their combined 100 years. 

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman -- This book featuring Mrs. Blossom seems to be a spinoff from a long-running series featuring private investigator Tess Monaghan. Though I've read a handful of other books from this author, it seems I have not read that particular series. Anyway, Mrs. Blossom aka Muriel is headed to Paris for a weeks-long stay before taking a river cruise with her friend Elinor. She meets a charming man on the flight who gives her a promise that they'll meet up one day when they are both back in the States. But then something happens that makes this impossible, and, well, this was a pretty cute book. I rather liked Mrs. Blossom as the main character, and may look for other books with her in them. 

The Nature of Disappearing Kimi Cunningham Grant -- When her former best friend Janessa disappears during a vanlife social media journey, Emlyn is contacted by Tyler, and that brings back a host of memories. I like the idea of HOPE mentioned in this book, and found the description of Tyler's ability to feel no pain and have loads of energy while taking a prescription pill (oxy) of interest. 

The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen -- Told from the perspectives of sisters June and Ruth as well as their mother Dorothy, this book explores envy and favor amongst siblings. 

Girl A by Abigail Dean -- Alexandra and her siblings were brought up in an unusual household. At one point her father chained them into their beds at night, but later Lex somehow escaped. In this book, she revisits memories of living with her family interspersed with the present where she meets up with her siblings - how are they doing these days? How is SHE?

The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg --  Instead of gathering to discuss books, these friends meet up and "confess" to things that they've done. Also it follows the stories of Iris and Maddy as well as the homeless man John who comes to town. An easy, fast read. 

All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett -- Anna has always wanted to live in London, and has the perfect opportunity during her junior year of college. Until her mother - who suffers from complications of diabetes - gets really sick and Anna decides not to go. A few years later, she gets her chance, and as a tutor, she meets some very rich families. When one family takes her under their wings, Anna is living the good life, hanging out with rich peers, and really, really wants to fit in. (Who doesn't?)  Enjoyed this one! 

After the Fire by Jane Casey -- Maeve Kerrigan and her team are working on a case involving a fire that killed a well-known MP. What was he doing at the Murchison place to begin with? And was he the target of this suspicious fire? 

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs -- Mairin Patricia O'Hara is a hard-working, fun-loving teenager until her mom decides to send her to a school that is more like a prison. There she meets Angela, Odessa, Kay, Janice, Helen, and others who become friends - some more bent on escaping than others. A good story! 

Once More from the Top by Emily Layden -- Dylan Read is a superstar singer whose best friend Kelsey disappeared fifteen years ago. When Kelsey's body is found, Dylan reflects on her past and her rise to fame. 

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers -- After Maddie's father dies, her mom drops her off at her great-aunt Etta's place in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. Aunt Etta makes gowns and dresses for the wealthy and merely rich wives of those who own Bright Leaf Tobacco. When Maddie accidentally learns disturbing facts about tobacco as related to premature babies, she is torn on what to do. This book is part of an Alamance Reads program as the local libraries have multiple copies, and I decided to check it out. Pretty good story. 

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson -- Thom and Wendy have a huge secret, and this book starts out with Wendy contemplating Thom's murder. Then it goes backwards in time to see how they got to that place. Fast read, but not my favorite of this author. 

Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman -- A group of writers are invited to an island in Greece fifteen years after they met there before. I would appreciate this book better if I knew more about Greek mythology, I'm sure. 

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5 years today, DAFR -- not forgotten

June Books

 The Heights by Louise Candlish -- Ellen is a mother bent on revenge after her son, Lucas, is paired with the troublemaker Kieran. Ellen blames Kieran for her son's failing grades, his use of drugs, their frailer connection, so much!  And when something terrible happens to her son, she has plans on how to make things right. 

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall -- Kate is eager to leave as she and her husband split. She decides to check out a small inn in the north of England where her parents stayed for their honeymoon. There she meets Audrey, the 91 year old owner and eventually the two share their stories. Audrey's goes back to World War II where she had a dear Jewish friend, Ilse. 

Penitence by Kristin Koval -- When a thirteen year old girl is charged with killing her brother, their father David calls on the local attorney Martine to help. Martine is over seventy and this sort of criminal defense isn't her specialty so she asks her son Julian for help. Julian was the long-time boyfriend of Angie, mom to Nora (the one charged) and Nico (the one killed) so it's all complicated (as was that sentence, no doubt.) 

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay -- Five families come together for a parents weekend dinner, but the college students (their children) that they went to see don't show up. What gives? FBI agent Sarah Keller is in the Bay Area, and helps look for these missing students. 

At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House by H.R. McMaster -- I was looking for books to keep on hand over the holiday weekend (Memorial Day) and saw this in the new books area. It took me a while to start it, but once I did, I read it within a few days. It was an interesting look at this general's time working with Trump during his first term. He said if you are inclined to hate Trump, you will find the book pro-Trump; and if you love Trump, you will find this anti-Trump (something along those lines.) I think that's a fair assessment. He spoke highly of many things, but was candid about many character issues with this president. I do wonder what he thinks of how things are going in Trump's second term. I feel this term has fewer people close to Trump who will speak truth to power as I fear Trump has only put "yes" men and women in place. 

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner -- Several Americans meet on ship as they travel to England. Four of them - two sibling sets - were invited to meet Jane Austen's brother. At age 91, he is hoping to share some of Jane's personal effects with great admirers of his sister.  Louisa May Alcott is also on board, and she takes charge to direct a play. Pretty cute story. 

The Eights by Joanna Miller -- Four young women are among the first ladies admitted to Oxford in 1920.  Their neighboring rooms are along Corridor 8, and they - Marianna, Beatrice. Ottoline, and Dora - become good friends.  Nice book! 

Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas -- Cute book about Haidie and Boots who were put into an orphan house by their older brother Cheet after their mom died. The two manage to escape with the help of Sarah, who was supposed to be a nun, but wanted to marry the laundry boy instead. They make their way west to look for their Pa who went off to make a fortune for the family, but never came back. An enjoyable, easy read. 

The Cardinal by Alison Weir -- A few years ago, I read her books about the wives of King Henry VIII and this cardinal, Thomas Wolsey played a big role in a couple of those stories. This book focused on his life serving King Henry.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall -- A quick suspense read... Theo, short for Theodora, is meeting her fiancée's family for the first time, and it's not a super-fun time for either Theo or Connor's family. Theo has been anonymously warned to stay away from Connor, and she keeps having flashbacks to her early childhood. 

I Seek a Kind Person by Julian Borger -- subtitled, "My Father, Seven Children and the Adverts that Helped Them Escape the Holocaust."  After his father's death by suicide, the author researched more of his story, and found out his father was a Viennese Jew who was brought to England after his grandfather advertised for "a kind person" to accept this 11 year old boy. The author saw the ad and decided to locate other children from these ads and tell their stories. 

Ward D by Freida McFadden -- Amy is a medical student doing her rotation on the psychiatric unit. She would do just about anything to avoid an overnight stay in Ward D, but duty calls so she's there. She comes face to face with a childhood best friend Jade and her former boyfriend Cameron (I'll let you guess if either of those are patients or fellow medical students.) A fast read and suspenseful! 

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant -- Cooper and his 8 year old daughter Finch have been living in a secluded cabin ever since he fled to his friend Jake's place when his daughter was an infant. They are only ever bothered by a Scripture-quoting, spying oddball called Scotland. Actually Finch loves Scotland so only Cooper is bothered by his neighbor. A really cute story if you like this sort of thing. I enjoyed the book.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker -- The reader is introduced to Jane O. through the voice of her psychiatrist Dr. Henry Byrd, but the book alternates between Dr. Byrd's narrative, and journal entries or letters that Jane wrote to her infant son. She wanted to record her story somewhat for her son to read in the future. Jane has a curious case of remembering things and Dr. Byrd is helping her deal with some hallucinations and/or dissociative fugue states. 

Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger -- Three parts to this story. The first focuses on Lila, the chief editor, reluctant mom, and one who grew up poor, yet made quite the name for herself. The middle section focuses on Grace, the third daughter of Lila who looks like her father, but is quite like her mom. Zelda, Lila's mom, who was sectioned when Lila was so small she has no memories of her mom is the subject of the third part. Did her mom really die while locked away or did she run away to escape her abusive husband? If she ran away, why did she leave her three children behind?  Pretty good story. 

May Books

 The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler -- Sienna returns home and finds a murder investigation has recently been reopened. She was dressed like the young lady who was killed, and often wondered if she were the intended target. 

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson -- I thought about not finishing this book when I had read a third of it. It was OK, but I was having trouble keeping up with all the people. Then I decided to keep reading for a while longer and finished the book that night. Bea and Selene are best friends from Boston who travel to neutral Portugal during World War II. There they get involved in spying for the Allied side. Pretty good. 

Sweet Vidalia by Lisa Sandlin -- After Eliza's husband dies and she's left in a precarious financial situation, she is advised to rent out her house and live with one of her children. But Eliza doesn't want to live with her grown children and decides to take a course at the local business school and live at a place with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette. Yep, it's the Sweet Vidalia for her. There and at her school she meets some interesting characters and makes new friends. Pretty cute story. 

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor -- I saw somewhere that this was the first in the Franklin Warren series. As such, Detective Warren has recently moved to a small town in Vermont where he's put to work investigating the death of an ornery ol' cuss, Hugh Weber. Was this a suicide or murder? 

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney -- Grady is an author who wants to celebrate his success with his wife, but as she drives home from the fish-and-chips shop, she stops for a person lying in the road. Then Abby disappears. About a year later, Grady's agent sent him off to a remote isle called Amberly where he meets some of the twenty-five residents and thinks he sees his missing wife.

The Names by Florence Knapp -- Cora is going to register her son's birth and hates the fact that her little boy will be yet another Gordon. She dreams of naming him Julian while her daughter Maia loves the name Bear. This book imagines what happens if Cora defies her husband and follows her heart or does as her daughter suggests. It also takes into account Cora following the demands of her controlling husband. Three scenarios viewed from years apart. An interesting and somewhat unique book! 

The Book for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick -- Margaret, Charlotte, Viv, and Bitsy bond over a book by Betty Friedman so they refer to themselves as "the Bettys." The ladies meet for book club and other times, and share life experiences and struggles and successes. 

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen -- Last month I mentioned reading book 2 in the Martini Club series so I wanted to read the first book so I'd know more about these characters. This one focuses on Maggie living in Maine, raising her chickens, but a woman is killed and left on her property. This book explores Maggie's past as she worked for the Agency. Pretty good. 

The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens -- Louisa's twin brother is thought to have burned the abbey, yet she's convinced she knew the moment he had died. Much to the chagrin of her proper aunt and uncle, not to mention the local law enforcement officers, she's determined to find out the truth. 

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish -- Jamie is a commuter on a river boat, and when his pal Kip doesn't show up, he assumes Kip is skipping work again after a party weekend. This book flashes back to when Clare and Jamie get to know Kip and his girlfriend Melia. 

The Other Woman by Jane Green -- Ellie lost her mom when she was young, and is so excited about gaining a new family when she and Dan marry. Soon she realizes her doting mother in law is a bit much and her husband can hardly say no to his mom. 

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper -- Tildy is cleaning a closet in the library when she discovers a secret room with two stunning dollhouses. In her search to learn more about the creator of these dollhouses, she travels to New Hampshire. The alternate storyline shares the story of Cora as she works in Paris and later England during World War I. 

The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak -- Billy is a fourteen year old in 1987, in danger of repeating ninth grade, but with a desire to create video games on his Commodore 64. These were early days for families having their own personal computers, and a rather cute book. I like that the main characters are 14 which is Zach's age as of a couple weeks ago, plus the year 1987 is meaningful to me. And oddly enough this is the 87th book I've read this year. 

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben -- Sami is a former police officer now investigating for an attorney. Years ago he fled Spain when a lady he met appeared dead and he had woken up with a knife in his hand. Years later he is teaching a criminology class when this lady, Anna, shows up in his class. She flees, and he follows. 

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff -- Did you know the Nazis opened a department store in Paris - the Lévitan - for prisoners to sort items they stole from Jewish families? There prisoners made piles of items to be shipped to Germany and many to be sold to German occupiers in France. This book has alternative stories of Louise and Helaine and their ties to this place. 

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French -- If you thought the bulk of these 400+ pages featured Kira Mullan, you'd be wrong. Instead Nancy North is moving to a new flat with her partner. There she meets the other tenants in this residence, and unfortunately her partner, Felix, tells everyone about her recent stay in the mental hospital. When Nancy runs into Kira on what would later be known as her last day, she is convinced that Kira did not die by suicide, but was murdered. But no one takes her seriously. Instead they say she's paranoid and going mad again - and needs to be sectioned (seems this is the English term for being committed to a mental hospital) against her will!  Why will no one look into Kira's death? 

Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher -- The first book in a new series: National Park Summers, this story is about Coop who is a high school biology teacher who does seasonal work with the park service. Meanwhile Kate is after the one-in-a-million photograph of the grizzly bear called 399. A nice escape to the Grand Tetons and its stunning scenery, dangers, and a rumor of a poacher! 

Daddy's Gone A Hunting by Mary Higgins Clark -- Kate is meeting a former employee Gus way too early in the morning when an explosion at the business kills Gus and knocks out Kate. Her sister Hannah wonders why Kate was meeting Gus. Did they start the fire in order to hurt Kate and Hannah's father?

April Books

 The Last Girl by Jane Casey -- I hadn't read much in the Maeve Kerrigan series in a few months so I ordered this one from the library. Maeve is investigating the murder of a mother and daughter. Another daughter was spared as she was swimming, and the father/husband was merely knocked unconscious. Maeve and the team work to figure out who killed Vita and Laura, and why.

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass -- Shelby and Mack are best friends enduring a horrible time after an event fifteen months prior when Shelby was locked into a freezer and left to die and Mack's husband disappeared. Meanwhile Shelby continues her job at The Oleander, a senior center made up of a loveable group. Shelby understandably deals with stress related to her ordeal, and Mack just wants to know what happened to Leo. Was he the one who locked Shelby into the freezer? A pretty good story. 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- I remember this book was super-popular years ago, but I never read it then. Rachel takes the same train every day, and gets to know the people living along the route - by watching them from her seat on the train. There is one couple she dubs Jess and Jason, a good looking couple, that she imagines she knows. In real life Megan and Scott have some underlying issues.

After Life by Gayle Forman -- Amber arrives at home only to find things are different. How much has changed since she left for school this morning. When her mom gets home, her mom screams. It's only about then that Amber finds out she died in a hit and run accident while riding her bike home from school seven years ago. Her dad, an atheist, calls it a miracle and suddenly believes in all that religious stuff (Ok, maybe not all of it), but her mom treats her like she's not happy to see her. 

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks -- The author travels to an island in Tasmania and reflects on the death and grief associated with the sudden loss of her husband, author Tony Horwitz, who died while on a book tour in Washington, D.C. in May 2019. I remember being stunned at this news as I thoroughly enjoyed Tony's books. He wrote a couple about times he was in the South, and this book tour covered one such book which I read not long after he died. I cried through parts of this book as I imagined her grief and remembered my own (today, April 8, is 2.5 years after all).  This book is short enough that you could read it in a single afternoon such as I did today, a lovely sunny day around 58 degrees (after having been close to 90 just a few days ago.)  

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister -- The book starts with Cam feeding her daughter and getting ready for her first day back at work after maternity leave. For some reason, she can't get in contact with her husband Luke. Later when there is news of a hostage situation, she is stunned to find out that her sunny, fun-loving husband is involved. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak -- Mallory is a recovering addict who lands a job as a nanny. Teddy is a darling five year old who loves to draw during quiet time. Yet his imaginary friend, Anya, often makes appearances in his pictures. Not a big deal except Anya has him draw some disturbing things: like her getting strangled. Pretty good story and I like that we can see Teddy's pictures throughout the book. 

Break To You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young, and Michelle Knowlden -- When Adriana is sent to juvenile detention she was able to keep her journal. One day she accidentally leaves it in the library, and when she goes back, she locates it alphabetically in the fiction section. She realizes someone read her journal and replied to her thoughts!  She's so upset with this mysterious J, and  decides to respond to this person. A bit far-fetched perhaps, but an interesting look at juvie from female and male perspectives. 

The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen -- I was already into this book before I realized it was part of a series - The Martini Club, of all things - but I kept on reading. Susan is part of the Conover family now, and she and her husband Ethan and their daughter Zoe make the trek to Maine in order to spread the ashes of Ethan's father. Zoe was seen swimming with a local girl, and when she doesn't come home in the evening, Susan calls the police to report her daughter missing. Jo, the chief of the police, along with the Martini Club, made up of retired operatives, seek to find clues about Zoe. When the pond is searched and bones are found, the community has another mystery on its hands!

The Other People by C.B. Everett -- Ten strangers wake up in a home and have no idea how they got there. There are familiar elements - they have their own clothes and their first meal features everyone's ideal food and drink. A lady appears and tells them they have to solve a mystery of sorts and then she gets shot. People keep dying, and everyone is suspicious...it's quite a bizarre book! 

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha -- An Indian family goes to a private island in Scotland to celebrate their parents' anniversary and the sale of their father's company. Aseem and his non-Indian wife Zoe want to finally leave the family home in Delhi, Myra wants a huge payout to save her pet project, and Aisha - well, she brings along yet another surprise boyfriend. This book makes you question your loyalty to family. Pretty good. 

The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey -- another in the Maeve Kerrigan series; The team is investigating some women's deaths and take a closer look at one of their own, Maeve's partner on the police force, Josh Derwent! 

Tea With Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn -- This first of the Suitcase Sisters series features Lily and Fern, long-time best friends, now in their thirties. The ladies are gifted with a trip to Kenya...how fun. A good reminder to me on page 195 about being able to rest and trust God and His timing. 

As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark -- Delaney is a court reporter covering the trial of Betsy Grant who is accused of murdering her husband, a doctor with early-onset Alzheimer's. She's convinced the prosecution has the wrong person though the evidence certainly points to Betsy as the killer. 

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger -- Adele is a single mom raising two teeangers. When her son Blake shows her a contest on one of his favorite online games, she decides to enter. The one million dollar prize would certainly help put the kids through college, and she is fit and believes she can do it. Meanwhile Maverick and his Extreme team set things up for this experience, but the locals aren't all happy with them being on their island.

Run Away by Harlan Coben -- Simon is looking for his daughter Paige who left home after she changed so much while in college. Meanwhile Elena is a private investigator looking for someone, and Ash and DeeDee are going around murdering folks. Wild. 

March Books

 Red River Road by Anna Downes -- Katy is in a van looking for her sister Phoebe who was traveling through Western Australia and seemed to have disappeared. She meets Beth who ends up tagging along for the ride and helps her locate her sister. Pretty good story. Deals with the issue of women traveling and how often men or intimate partners make them feel unsafe. 

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh -- this is a novel based on the memoir of Alice Marble, a tennis star from the 1930s. Pretty interesting lady!

Written in the Waters by Tara Roberts -- "A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging;" the author travels with groups to places where slave ships were wrecked. She also went to a few other places like Benin and Togo to find out more about her own heritage. Pretty interesting. 

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia -- Stephanie, a successful lady in theTV industry, is leaving Madison for yet another conference. And she is not happy about it. Just because she's the single lady, she most always has to be the one who travels.  Jasmine is fleeing an abusive boyfriend. They meet on the plane to Denver.  Their friends and acquaintances back home wonder when neither shows up to their destinations and they receive odd text messages. A pretty good thriller type book! 

 

Melania by Melania Trump (or her ghostwriter?) -- I say that about the authorship because there are no acknowledgments at all. Well there is a page for photo credits at the very end of the book, but the book ends with a letter to the American people after the assassination attempt on her husband's life. I usually enjoy memoirs from immigrants and I put this one on hold several weeks back when I saw it on my library's online catalog. It was just 181 pages of text with a nice chunk of pictures in the middle. I enjoyed seeing Melania's mother, father, and sister as well as Melania as a baby and child up to her modeling days and as a mother and First Lady.  My favorite part to read was probably when she took trips as FLOTUS, and her times with children and leaders/partners of other countries.  She took a rosary to Pope Francis hoping he would bless it for her (he did.) 

She talked about her modeling career as she lived in Milan and Paris before coming to New York City where, of course, she met her future husband.  She told how she and Donald bonded over favorite musicians and movies.  She told about her Be Best campaign and why she wore that jacket; about the media being out for her family, touched on the impeachment trials with no depth, but just that political enemies were out to get her husband.  I didn't realize she had renovated so many areas while living at the White House, but that is something she enjoys doing. She talked of how she sometimes disagrees with her husband on his political stances, but how she discusses these things with him in private. She has a strong pro-choice position regarding abortion. She also thought the FBI raid on her house was like something people in her former Communist country would do.  She also discussed her posing nude for some French magazine since those photos were brought up at some point in the last several years.  (Europeans are OK with nudity so it's nothing shameful for her to have done. No big deal except to some Americans. Yawn.)  

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto -- I saw this one on Myrna's blog  and decided to read it. Very cute story about Vera who found a dead body in her tea shop. Knowing the murderer often comes back to the scene of the crime, she collects the four strangers who show up outside her tea shop and seeks to solve the mystery - because, of course, the police don't investigate properly in her opinion.She's quite a lady! 

The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly -- When Isabelle's mom dies, she is shocked to find out her mom left the dress shop to both herself and her sister Sylvia who abandoned them after her marriage to Hugo. Sylvia tries to show that she's changed, and runs the dress shop when Izzie is conscripted into helping England in their fight against the Nazis.  

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark -- Kat is a journalist who has been tracking Meg for years. Meg is a con artist who is finally back where she grew up. She came to settle a score against a man who left her and her mom homeless. Pretty good story.

The Crash by Freida McFadden -- Tegan is eight months pregnant and going to visit her brother at the ski place he works at when she hits a tree during a blizzard. Her ankle is most-certainly broken and she has no idea what to do.  A local man Hank helps her, but Tegan gets weird vibes from him and is scared that he'll hurt her. Instead he takes her to his house where his wife Polly, a nurse, helps her. But when Tegan is convinced to stay in the hospital bed IN THE BASEMENT, and then it seems to take forever for their road to be cleared...well, it's just bad times for Tegan. 

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn -- Elinor grew up as a privileged daughter of a man who made his fortune in cotton, yet she and her dad are surprised when they get an invitation to a ball where "their kind" aren't usually welcomed. There she meets Frederick who quickly sweeps her off her feet. A quick wedding follows and Elinor finds out fast that she was chosen due to her father's fortune. (Those titled folk often need money to keep up the family's crumbling estate afterall.)  When Elinor has a chance to travel on the Titanic, she's excited about this adventure and being able to see her father again plus spend time with her little boy. At home he's off with the Nanny for most of the day, and she wants to be a mother to him herself. Yet...we know what happens on the Titanic. Good story! 

A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson -- A novel about Maggie Lena Walker, "the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States, whose actions transformed her community of Jackson Ward into Virginia's Black Wall Street."   I admire her determination and hard work! 

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova -- Olivia is living alone on Nantucket after a separation from her husband. Their son was diagnosed with autism at age 3, and the doctor asked then about their marriage. An odd question.... then again, maybe not. Meanwhile Beth finds out in a cruel way about her husband's infidelity and tries to figure out what to do. Meanwhile she starts writing a novel about a boy with autism. 

The Note by Alafair Burke -- Three friends are on a girls' weekend when a prank goes awry. Next thing they know May, Kelsey, and Lauren are questioned by a lead detective about a wealthy young man who is missing. Yikes! 

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig -- This book is a "novel of Hamilton, Burr, and America's First Murder Trial."  In it you meet people with names like Brockholst Livingston, Cadwallader Colden, Buthrong Anderson, and the murder victim herself, Elma, short for Gulielma Sands. 

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering -- This book follows Lucy and Stephen who met when both were in college at Baird. Stephen has a strong hold on Lucy, and this book was rather annoying due to their toxic relationship....whew.

 A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner -- This book follows the story of Melanie Cole who was blacklisted as a Communist simply because she dated a certain actor. Meanwhile Eva, the immigrant who helps at her house, has secrets that could make things worse for Melanie if they are uncovered. And then there are Elwood and June next door. They've seen June several times lately, but where is Elwood? 

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson -- A novella about a young American student who went to England to study. Ashley was thrilled to be invited to Emma's country estate to spend the Christmas holiday. While there she hears about a murder and how her friend's twin brother is a suspect. 

February Books

 Dead Connection by Alafair Burke -- This book was just OK. It featured a rookie detective Ellie Hatcher who was chosen to help Flann McIlroy when women were murdered in New York City. Ties are made to a dating service which is one aspect Ellie and Flann investigate.

The Umbrella Lady by V.C. Andrews --  After her mom dies in a house fire, Saffron and her dad are at the train station. He leaves her there to color while he buys supplies, but he never returns. Instead an older lady appears and convinces Saffron to eat and sleep at her house. Time passes and Saffron is still with this lady, dubbed the umbrella lady because she carries an umbrella with her every time she leaves home. This book was a bit odd, but came together in an OK way so maybe I'll read the next book about Saffron since I saw her story continues.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova -- Alice Howland is a professor and research scientist at Harvard. When she starts having some memory issues around the time of her fiftieth birthday, she decides to ask her doctor if this is normal - menopausal behavior perhaps? What follows is a case of Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease and how she and her family deal with this diagnosis. Good book, and I like that it is told from the perspective of Alice. I've recommended this book to my family and a friend, and have thought of it several times since I read it. 

Past Perfect by Susan Isaacs -- Katie worked for a couple of years with the CIA, but she was fired without any explanation. Fifteen years later, she still wants to know what happened. When a former coworker calls saying she has the answer and will call back tomorrow, Katie is ready for answers. Only her former coworker never calls and Katie cannot locate her. Pretty good story. The author is a rather amusing lady which I like at times, but also sometimes comedy in books distracts from the story for me.  

The English American by Alison Larkin -- Twenty-eight years ago Pippa was adopted by British parents from a young mother in the United States. When she finally gets around to wanting to find out where she came from, she is able to get in touch with Billie, a Georgian living in New York. She's invited to visit her birth mother, and what follows is an adventure of where she gets her hands, her laugh, her artistic and messy traits.  One of my favorite parts are the comments about what Pippa finds so different in the US. For instance telling folks "I love you," or the easy talk of God or money make her squirm. Many times she bit back her honest thoughts and credited this to her British upbringing of being polite no matter what. 

The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen -- Again I cannot remember all the details from past books in this series - On Devonshire Shores - but this one is mostly about Claire's return to England to be near her mom and sisters. She was disowned by her father after running off with a guy who said he'd marry her, but after that broken relationship, she was living in Scotland with an elderly family member. After Aunt Mercer dies, she returns and becomes a partner in a boarding house. William Howland is a widower with a young child named Mira. Pretty good story. 

Out of the Rain by V.C. Andrews -- This is the sequel to the book mentioned above about Saffron. After the death of Mazy, the umbrella lady, Saffron decides to look for the father who never returned for her. Her father is stunned to see Saffron show up in his yard, and hurriedly instructs her where to go and urges her to go along with his story before she comes to live with him, his wife, Ava, and their two children Karen and Garson. Saffron goes to a private school and gets used to living with "Uncle Derick"'s family though it's hard to keep her story straight. Interesting story and what a father! 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson -- Ernie aka Ern is with his family at a must-be-there family reunion because his brother Michael is being released from prison, and it was imperative that everyone be at this event to welcome him. Ern is the narrator of this story and adds a lot of commentary and editor's notes as well as telling the Dear Reader where to find all the murders throughout this book. Ha!  I heard about this book from Myrna so I decided to read it. 

We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin -- Meg was driving when her family was in an accident which led to her husband's death. They were being harassed by a group of skinheads trying to photograph them when Meg lost control of the vehicle. A few months later, Meg and her daughter Lily are confronted with a website that makes them believe they were targeted. This book took me a while to get into, but it ended up being pretty good though not my favorite from this author. 

My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero -- Another from Myrna's January book list, this is a Junior Biography in my library geared obviously to younger readers. Interesting story! I read it within a few hours on Valentine's Day and when I read the last chapter, I felt so so sad that this reality of Trump in office AGAIN was happening to the immigrant community. Andrew recently finished Wilmer Valderrama's book which I picked up for him at the library, and we talked about his story, how his family came to the US for a better life. Really wish people had more compassion in understanding why people move to countries. It's not that they dislike their homes (food, culture, language, family), but are often searching for better lives. And sometimes they are fleeing dangerous situations and can't apply through legal channels (like that is super-easy, quick, and cheap!). Like I've told some folks, You have to be desperate to come to the US where even the Christians*** hate you!   Since I wrote this, Andrew read this book while I still had it checked out. He enjoyed her stories and we've continued talking about Diane and Wilmer. 

***  I know not all Christians hate immigrants, but it seems many of them do. They only like the ones who come legally which, as I said earlier, is not cheap or easy or something folks always think to do when they are desperate. Also I called out "the Christians" because supposedly Jesus told us to love others. Like after loving God with all our hearts, we are supposed to love others.  Even our enemies! 

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James -- Kitty pretends to be a nurse and gets a job at a place where men who fought in the Great War are now recovering after madness sets in. She's desperate to escape home and thinks this place will be a good area to hide. She meets interesting patients and fellow nurses. Pretty good though her books always have a ghostly element that some people may not like. 

The Last Room On the Left by Leah Konen -- Kerry has signed up to be the caretaker for the month of February at this motel outside of the City, and she discovers the room she is supposed to be living in has the previous occupant's stuff all in it. Odd. This book alternates between Kerry and Siobhan's voices with a bit of Allison in the mix. A pretty good thriller about good friends, a murder, and more! 

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison -- Aubrey's husband disappeared five years ago when the two of them split up for their friends' separate parties. When Aubrey went to meet Josh later that evening, he never showed up. Five years later, he's finally declared dead by the courts, but Aubrey still wonders what happened. Meanwhile she runs into a man who reminds her so much of Josh, and she and Chase become close. Will she ever figure out what happened to her husband? 

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio -- Flora is headed to England to work as a nanny. Her assignment is to find a rare camellia and inform the man who hired her, but she starts enjoying her job with the children.  Meanwhile - in more recent times - Addison and Rex head to England from the US where Rex's family has a home - the place Flora lived decades ago. This was OK. 

The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopolous -- This book was highly recommended by Suzanne, so I looked to see if my library had it.  I put it on hold, and it was finally available this month.  I enjoyed learning more about how the presidents from JFK to Biden used the Sit Room. I was introduced to so many interesting people and some of my favorites were Gerald Ford's photographer, David Hume Kennerly, who piped up to offer a suggestion regarding the Cambodians capturing a ship even though he was supposed to be a "fly on the wall." (see page 80)  I also really enjoyed the backstory to the famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."  (At one point he thought of just letting President Reagan say it in German since speechwriter Peter Robinson got the idea after visiting with a group of Berliners (pg. 143). He was told by the chief speechwriter that an American President should always give his big lines in English...ha.)  I also noted how much I liked Brent Scowcroft and the tech wizard Gary Bresnahan who were mentioned several times as they served under several presidential administrations.  I love the stories of the Bush family - the first George and Barbara - and how they were "informal" compared to the Reagans. If it was a slow night, they even invited staffers to join them in eating popcorn and watching movies (pg. 170).  The pages about "please hold for the President" were pretty good and invite a chuckle, while the chapter about 9/11 brought tears to my eyes as I relived that day. It was interesting that although the Sit Room was to be evacuated, folks decided to stay so one man had them write down their names and SSNs - a "dead list" in case they died there. I love that "U.S. Navy detailees to the White House mess, which was adjacent to the Sit Room, also refused to leave." After being told that they were free to go, yet learning folks were staying in the Sit Room, one guy said, "You guys are gonna need to eat. What do you want?" (pg. 208)  

So many good backstories! 

I wrote the above when I was about 80% finished with the book and since then I read the chapter about the Trump presidency which was interesting!   I read quite a bit of that chapter to Andrew and thought about what advisors to Trump in his first term think about things now since it seems there is no one there to "take the phone away."  I guess time will tell.

The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner -- Meg's dad has promised to take her to Florence since she was a young girl. Years later, she finally gets the chance to visit the place where her beloved Nonna lived at one time. Unfortunately her father doesn't meet her at the airport, yet Meg finds a place to stay with Sofia, the lady writing a memoir. This book took me longer to read than it should have as I had a hard time sticking with the story. It wasn't terrible, but not my favorite from this author. Also I was reading the book mentioned above while reading this so my attention was divided. 

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange -- In order to help his father after having a stroke, Kyle returns to Potsdam, New York, after leaving nearly 2 years ago. Casey has to deal with her former husband returning to help his father who lives across the street from her. Why did this couple split up and why did Kyle leave in the first place?

HBD, DBF3! <3

January Books

 The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson -- A pretty long book (over 400 pages), but pretty easy to read. Constance is the companion to an older lady, and makes friends with Poppy, the daughter of a baronet, who rides a motorcycle. Harris is Poppy's brother who lost his leg during the war. Anyway, a pretty good story to start the year. 

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James -- A receptionist by day, Shea is a true-crimes blogger at night, and in this story she meets the lady acquitted as "the Lady Killer" back in the late 1970s. The alternative story here is from Beth's point of view. Pretty good.

The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers -- I have several books on hold, but none of them was available so when I saw this on the New Books shelf, I decided to check it out.  The author admits up front that this is a work of fiction based on ten years of research from which she "extracted various hints, allusions, and suggestions that fed my personal interpretation of Julia's little known, but formative OSS service in World War II Asia."  

All By Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark  -- I like these books sometimes because they are super-fast reads. This one takes place on a cruise ship where not everyone makes it across the ocean unchanged. There are guest lecturers like Celia the gemologist, and the guy who lectures on Shakespeare. Then there are the quirky guests such as Lady Em and her assistant Brenda among others. 

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer MacAllister -- Some of the story of Aimée Crocker, the lady with many surnames due to her many marriages. Interesting person if you like nontraditional types.

All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- This continues the Under Suspicion series. Laurie and her team try to figure out what happened to Amanda who was dubbed "the Runaway Bride" five years ago when she never showed up for her wedding. She's never been seen since,either. 

The HItchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel -- Imagine getting together with your college friends several years after you all have gone your separate ways. Things might have been fun in college, but they did not end well.  Alfred now owns the creepy house at the top of the hill, and has made it into an inn based on Alfred Hitchcock's films. Zoe, Julius, Grace, TJ, and Samira reluctantly agree to the weekend reunion.. so exciting! 

Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova -- Imagine being one of Boston's finest - a patrol cop for many years, when your wife wants you to go to the doctor because of odd behavior. She believes you when you say you haven't been drinking or taking drugs. Unfortunately tests confirm a neurological disorder - Huntington's Disease - that is debilitating and fatal. This is such an interesting and, yes, even entertaining read as Joe deals with his diagnosis in his early forties, and even his adult children decide whether or not to get tested for the gene mutation. There's a fifty fifty chance they will inherit this awful disease, too. 

The Wright Sister by Patty Dann -- An imagined pile of diary entries and letters from Katharine Wright to her brother Orville after she married for the first time at fifty-two. Orville was so bothered by this, he refused to speak to his sister. Thankfully I read a much fuller novel about this family last year so this wasn't a shock to me. 

I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell -- After the lady who ran the "Dear Constance" advice column is murdered, Alex sends in her application to fill the position. Francis Keen's advice was always meaningful to Alex, and she is shocked when the editor calls her, asking her to fill the position. Pretty good story. 

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis -- Charlotte is a curator at the Met in New York City after years of studying about ancient Egypt. She took a trip there nearly forty years ago, but has mostly refused to return due to a terrible curse. Annie is a young adult looking for her way in life. An interesting story about archaeology and antiquities. 

Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- I'm trying to finish the Under Suspicion series and this was next in line. Laurie and her team investigate the death of a society lady who fell off the roof at the Met during a gala. The prime suspect was her boyfriend who was a couple of decades younger, but he was never convicted.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James -- The book begins in 1982 when Viv is in Fell, New York, working the night shift at the Sun Down Motel. She's read about another young lady who has been killed and then she - Viv - disappears. Then it's 2017 and Carly arrives in the same town and begins a search for her aunt Viv, someone she never knew, but someone her mom grieved until her death from cancer. Pretty good story especially if you don't mind a few ghosts in the mix. 

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader -- Clara and Abbie are shocked when a celebrity comes to their mom's funeral. How did BettyAnn Beecher know this famous woman? Thus begins the story of how Kitty, BettyAnn, and Jenny met at a nursing college in Iowa during the Vietnam era. Jenny's goal is to go to Vietnam to serve whereas Kitty's dream is to travel to Hollywood to be a seamstress. Pretty good story about these friends over the decades.

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith -- The latest in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series featuring Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi (she of the 97% on her final examination at the secretarial school), the lovely detectives in Botswana. In this book they are asked to investigate strange happenings at the Great Hippopotamus Hotel among other things. 

You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- I think I've read all the Under Suspicion books finally. This one has Laurie and her team investigating the murder of a famous doctor. His wife was suspected of his murder, but it wasn't proven. 

The Adults by Caroline Hulse -- Matt waited for several weeks before asking Alex about going with him on a trip around Christmas. He wants his ex wife and her partner to join them for the sake of Scarlett, his seven year old daughter.  He and Claire (the ex) get along well, and he wants to see his daughter open her presents at Christmas. Did I mention this trip is not just a weekend, but a five-day event?  What could possibly go wrong? 

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova -- This author is a neuroscientist and her novels focus on people with brain conditions such as Huntington's Disease, ALS, autism and so forth. I only discovered her books recently and read the story about HD earlier this month. In this book, she talks about Maddy who discovers she has bipolar disorder. I am going to look for more of her books as they are helpful to me in learning more about people who have neurological conditions that we often don't understand and fear. 

The Close Up by Pip Drysdale -- Zoe is a British woman living in Los Angeles struggling with writer's block as she is due to write another book. While working her day job as a florist, she is reunited with Zach who she met a few years ago when her boyfriend Will broke up with her. Since then Zach has become a star, and Zoe is pleasantly surprised when he seems to want to rekindle their relationship.

Bad Habits by Amy Gentry -- Claire and Gwen reconnect at a conference where Claire (formerly known as Mac short for MacKenzie) is one of the speakers. This book alternates between their late-night chat and back to their younger years especially when the two of them were part of The Program. Gwen was mentored by Rocky whereas Rocky's wife, the powerful Bethany Ladd took Mac under her wing. Lots of unethical conduct here, and this book was just "meh" to me. At least it was a quick read. 

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins -- The story starts with Rosie and Morgan exchanging anonymous messages through a donor connection site. Rosie was the recipient of Morgan's wife's heart when his wife, Daphne, died unexpectedly at a young age. Rosie nearly immediately realizes that this husband she's writing is a local author and she follows him on Instagram imagining them meeting in real life and who knows? falling in love! Pretty good. 

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane -- Addison's husband, a well-known doctor, died from a fall. Or maybe he was pushed? Either way, she's under suspicion. She's glad he's dead. She married him as part of a scheme, but she didn't kill him. Who did? 

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden -- Erika knows her son is special. He's handsome, smart, polite, and has a dark side. When a local girl goes missing, Erika prays that Liam is not involved, 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak -- Frank is so happy to hear from his daughter after their three-year estrangement, and is shocked when she invites him to her upcoming wedding. Frank along with his older sister and a foster daughter make the trek to New Hampshire to meet this family, and some weird stuff happens that makes him question his daughter and her future inlaws. 

December 2024

Happy last day of the year! 

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben -- This is the second book featuring sports agent and parttime sleuth Myron Bolitar. When a young tennis star is killed at a major US event, Harlan looks into why Valerie was targeted. He and his friend Win investigate. While these books are easy reading (fast to get through) and are amusing (especially when I read about cassette tapes, VCRs, and car phones not to mention Myron's adolescent humor), I don't love the series so far. 

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins -- Lark wants to work in the oncology department, but she gets moved to emergency medicine because she cries too much when her patients die.  Meanwhile Dr. Santorini aka Dr. Satan, because he's really not a friendly sort, asks for a favor in order to keep his family happy, especially his beloved Noni. Pretty cute story. 

The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- another book in the Under Suspicion series. This time Laurie and her coworkers head to California to interview the mother, friends and acquaintances in the murder of Susan several years ago. Susan was supposed to show up to an audition, but didn't and was later found dead in a canyon. 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley -- A British civil servant is promoted to be part of a secret task: being the "bridge" for someone who is here from the past. Yes, that's right: the British have somehow been able to transport a handful of individuals from the past to current times. This narrator's charge (they call them "expats") is Commander Graham Gore known as 1847 because this is when they think he died while part of Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to the Arctic. 

My Darling Boy by Helen Cooper -- Chrissy awaits the release of her son Leo after he served a two-year sentence for manslaughter. Chrissy's former best friend's son Robbie was killed. When Chrissy goes to pick up her son, he's told Leo left a few hours earlier and now he has seemingly disappeared. 

The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor -- Amelia is an actor chosen to play the romance writer Gloria Diamond, an author her mother loved. Amelia has the opportunity to live with Gloria for a few days, hoping to learn more about the world-famous author, but finds Gloria aloof at best. This book is told in a couple timelines of Gloria as a young woman (known back then as Mare short for Mary), and present time. Interesting story. 

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell -- This book was OK. I kept reading it because I was wanting to know if the NTSB officer investigating a plane crash over Kansas was able to convince Erin, the woman who allegedly survived the crash, to come forward and admit she survived. 

Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb -- Cute story featuring Olive the single mum, news reporter with the BBC circa 1950s and Jack, the Louisiana born chef who gets a job working in the royal kitchens not long after Queen Elizabeth replaces her father. 

The Janes by Lousia Luna -- This book stars Alice Vega and her sidekick Cap from a previous book which I must have liked since I put this book on my list to read. And I did like certain aspects of this story, but it was so hard to get through. I think it's because I was falling asleep while reading it at night, and couldn't follow the story as well as a more-awake me would have done. After Vega and Cap are hired to help the police, they locate the missing girls and are suddenly on the run from these same officers. 

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood -- A good way to learn more about the Wright brothers as well as their sister Katharine and their father. I learned quite a bit from this novel! 

Jackie by Dawn Clifton Tripp -- An interesting look at Jackie Kennedy's life just before she married JFK and beyond. 

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben -- A stand-alone novel which so far I prefer from this author...no offense to Myron Bolitar as he's a pretty cool dude. David is in prison for killing his son. He doesn't remember doing this, but the jury found him guilty and he is serving his time. When his former sister in law visits him in prison with a picture that seems to show his son alive and at an amusement park, David wants to find out if that is Matthew. But he's in prison so that's going to be tricky. 

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde -- When his social studies teacher offers extra credit to any student who comes up with a plan to make the world a better place - and to put that plan into action, Trevor decides to pay it forward by helping someone down on his luck as well as setting up his mom with his social studies teacher. He also helps a lady on his paper route.  He's not sure he's much of a success at implementing his plan, though. 

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins -- I wasn't sure if I'd finish this one before the end of the year, but I had more time to read today and I did finish!  This story is about Grace who lived on an island where her artist friend Vanessa painted and sculpted. Beck is wanting to collect the art pieces Vanessa left to the museum, but Grace isn't keen on giving up her friend's work. An OK book. 

November Books

 The Burning by Jane Casey -- I've seen these mysteries featuring detective Maeve Kerrigan for a while now, and decided to start this series from the beginning so I'd know the characters from the start. This book is from 2010, and I see there are more than a dozen in this series now.  In this book Maeve and her fellow detectives search for a serial killer. Also Louise is coming to grips with her best friend Rebecca's death. 

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse -- This book features Elin and Isaac from past books, and I wish I remembered their stories better, but I've read so many books, I just don't.  In this book the siblings are at a retreat in Portugal where they are supposed to relax and reconnect, however, the mystery of Kier follows them. Kier's brother Penn contacted Isaac about helping to locate his sister so while Elin is supposed to be relaxing, she gets involved in the search. And what's up with the folks living in their vans at the camp?

An American Story: Everyone's Invited by Wilmer Valderrama -- I started this memoir on election day... great story of the author's being born in Miami, but leaving at age three for his father's homeland in Venezuela. I have a soft spot for Venezuelans, and I like Wilmer on NCIS! 

Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke -- An older book, but a really neat story about Rachel who was raised to be a pure Aryan specimen and her meeting with Jason Young, an American journalist stationed in Berlin. Meanwhile Lea is preparing to help with the Passion Play which takes place every decade in Oberammergau. 

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark. -- I realized recently that I've nead a couple newer books in the Under Suspicion series and never knew the backstory referred to in them.  I looked up these books in order and this is book one that introduces us to Laurie Moran whose husband was killed by Blue Eyes when her son was just three. Five years later, the murder is still unsolved, and Laurie is producing a new television show which revisits the murder of a socialite who was hosting her daughter and her daugther's three friends for a Graduation Gala - the four young women had recently graduated from college.  

On The Surface by Rachel McGuire -- Dani and Sawyer are in the Bahamas where Dani is trying to capture the perfect videos to become a YouTube sensation. She's hoping to make a lot of money by posting about their life on a boat. But when Sawyer wakes up after a party and can't find Dani, people start questioning him. Because it's (almost) always the boyfriend or husband, right? 

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty -- Imagine being on a flight nearly getting ready to land when an older lady starts walking up the aisle pointing at people saying "cause of death, age of death" followed by things like "pancreatic cancer, age 66" or "old age, age 100." This is what happened on a flight in Australia, so after that flight people kept tabs on their fellow passengers to see if the Death Lady's predictions came true. Meanwhile the reader learns about this lady's story. Her name is Cherry by the way. Not Cheryl.  

The Stranger at the Wedding by A.E. Gauntlett -- At Annie and Mark's wedding, there is a guy sitting there who gives them both the creeps. Who is this man that they did not invite? Did Mark's father invite him as the stranger claims? Meanwhile we learn the backstory of Annie and Mark and of Cameron and how he came to be at the wedding. 

The Reckoning by Jane Casey --  I decided to try another of the Maeve Kerrigan mysteries. In this book the team starts out investigating the brutal murders of two men convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Why are these men being targeted and will there be more murders?

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen -- Stella is a lawyer for the good of children usually in custody cases, and her good friend Charles asks her to take on the case of 9 year old Rose. Beth and Ian are divorcing, each is suspected in the death of their nanny, but police don't have enough evidence to charge one or the other. Meanwhile they each want Rose to live with them and Stella has to spend time with Rose to figure out which one to recommend. 

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight -- Cleo and her mom, Kat, have a difficult relationship, but Cleo reluctantly agrees to meet her mom for dinner. Yet when Cleo arrives, the food is burning and she can't find her mom. Plus she finds blood on a shoe and broken glass.  This book explores what led up to this evening and beyond as Cleo searches for clues about what happened.

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara -- Julia is back living in Ireland after twenty years in California, and she's meeting a couple school friends for drinks when Eleanor finds out from being tagged on Facebook, that the other person who was supposed to be there, Anya, was discovered dead by her partner. As Julia struggles to make sense of this - along with remembering the fourth girl in their JADE friendship - that would be D for Donna - these viral TikTok videos keep showing her house and someone coming down from the ladder!  Creepy!  With the help of her ex-husband Gabe, her friend Eleanor, and new neighbors Alastair and Drew and Shirin, Julia tries to figure out what's going on.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager -- Ethan comes back to the family house near Princeton when his parents move to Florida. There he is confronted with the disappearance of his best friend Billy who was taken when the boys were ten years old and camping in Ethan's back yard. It's three decades later, but Ethan still has The Dream which fuels his insomnia. 

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden -- Sydney is having a terrible time finding a good guy to date despite using the app specifically for NYC-area matches.  Then she finally meets a doctor who seems spectacular in most every way. Meanwhile the reader learns the backstory of Tom and his pal Slug from high school. 

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles -- A novel set in northern France during World War I when Jessie "Kit" Carson travels there to help set up the library. Only she finds so much more needs doing and she joins in without a fuss. An interesting way to read more about CARD and what the Cards did. 

 A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison -- Riley is a reporter chosen by the famous author Columbia Jones to follow her around while on tour and get exclusive interviews. What a gift! But when Columbia is found dead in her hotel room, Riley as well as Columbia's daughter Darian look to solve this mystery. 

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea -- Sloan uses a DNA testing service as part of a forensic project and finds way more than she bargained for. She appears to be "missing baby Charlotte" from a story that made national headlines nearly three decades ago.