Month: March 2019

THE LIBRARY of LOST and FOUND by Phaedra Patrick

The Library of Lost and Found

A librarian’s discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime in the delightful new novel from the international bestselling author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper 

Martha Storm is a book lover and works at the library. Not in the position she wants, but she has come to terms with not getting what she wants. She is what I would call a doormat. Everyone uses her and she just lets them. 

She is also a bit depressed it seems. Her joy for life never found after the loss of her beloved best friend and grandmother. To this day she isn’t sure what happened to Zelda except her mother telling her she died.

And a lie is a lie until it isn’t. When the universe conspires to right the wrongs And that is what happens to mousey Martha. One day a book shows up on her doorstep and suddenly she isn’t sure if her grandmother is dead or not. In the book are all of the stories they made up and the date in the inscription doesn’t match what she knows of when her grandmother died.

For me this was when things got interesting. I was a little peeved at Martha for being such a little mouse but I am glad I stuck with her because it was a fun ride. I cried for her and her grandmother. A poignant and moving story of families and love.

So many secrets in a family just fester and darken over time and when Martha finds out all the truths, it is truly a beautiful thing to behold!


NetGalley/ March 26th 2019 by Park Row

 

Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce by A.L.Herbert

Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce (Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery #3)

A Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery

Halia and Wavonne are back! Serving the best soul food in the area at Mahlia’s restaurant, Sweet Tea. Between laughing at Wavonne and drooling over the delicious food Halia turns out I was thoroughly entertained!

While getting their hair done, a local girl who made it in the big time of hair care pops in with her video crew to shoot one of her top-selling salons. Everyone is excited to meet Monique Dupree and before they know it the ladies are being invited to the big Hair Expo.

Inviting them all back to her restaurant for a good dinner, Mahalia is getting some negative vibes coming off a few of Monique’s friends and husband. She’s also getting some nice vibes from their personal chef.

But when Monique is found shot to death  in her own home, everyone is looking to Mahalia to look into things. And there was plenty to look into! Every last one of them is hiding some nasty secret and Monique it turns out was hiding some of her own. One that could rock her empire.

This is one cozy series that I really like. The characters are real and aren’t perfect, but that is why we love them, they are just like us.

Well Done!

Netgalley/March 26th 2019 by Kensington
 

 

 

 

 

The Last Second (A Brit in the FBI #6) By Catherine Coulter and J.T.Ellison

The Last Second (A Brit in the FBI, #6)

From New York Times bestselling authors Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison comes a riveting thriller pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine against a private French space agency that has the power to end the world as we know it.

Former NASA astronaut, Dr. Nevaeh Patel, was grounded when on a spacewalk off the ISS, her tether snapped and she made contact with the Numen, an alien race that wants her to tell the earth about them. So she does and is grounded for good with a psychiatric report that will keep her grounded. Angry, and frustrated, she finds Galactus, a private space agency owned by the uber rich Jean-Pierre Broussard.

Patel finds that he is also seeking a treasure, the Holy Grail and instantly understands the Numen want her to possess it and quiet the heavens so that they may come to her and teach the world peace and be immortal. But one must be worthy of the stone. An important catch.

While Broussard is off retrieving the Holy Grail, or Heavens Stone, Patel launches a communications satellite. Only this satellite is carrying a nuclear triggered EMP which when triggered will take out all of the satellites and leave the world in chaos.

When Agents Caine and Drummond are brought in they are in a big time crunch. One that may see them be too late to stop the world descending into chaos.

This Brit in the FBI series is one of my favorites. These two put you on the edge of your seat from the beginning and it’s a fast and thrilling ride to the end. I personally lost two fingernails to this book!

Coulter and Ellison can take an idea that is definitely possible and create something that will scare you for many nights to come. That is what I love. This could happen and what if it did? Well I hope that Drummond and Caine and all their cohorts are here for us too!

Another very well done thriller!

Netgalley/ March 26th 2019 by Gallery Books

 

One Potato,Two Potato, Dead by Lynn Cahoon (A Farm-to-Fork Mystery)

One Potato, Two Potato, Dead (Farm-to-Fork Mystery #3)

Angie Turner’s restaurant, The County Seat, is conveniently located near a first-class farmers market—so her menu is full of fresh ingredients. But a visiting culinary professor has just had a taste of something very unhealthy . . .

The County Seat is Angie and her BFF, Felicity’s farm to table restaurant. In the town of River Vista, Idaho. Using locally sourced ingredients their twists on recipes will have you wishing you were there.

Angie and boyfriend, Ian, have agreed to help cook and serve at a local mission, along with Hope, her chef-in-training they are giving the homeless a good home cooked meal. This is where Angie meets Daniel Monet. Daniel is also one of Hope’s professors and in a weird twist he is also someone Ian knew from England only not by the name is using now.

But when he turns up dead, by poisoning from a wine glass with Hope’s prints on it, Angie will go into overdrive to find out just who this phony really is and who really killed him.

This is turning into one of my favorites. I read all of her other cozy series and the things I love about this one are the characters. They are so well done that I wouldn’t be surprised to meet up with them if I dropped in to town. And of course we can’t forget the food. I would happily be a taste tester for Angie! I’ve already tried the recipe at the end and it was delicious.

Very Well Done!

Netgalley/March 19th 2019 by Lyrical Underground

 

THE LIAR’S CHILD by CARLA BUCKLEY

The Liar's Child

Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Paradise Apartments isn’t exactly the Ritz. It’s old and tired and falling down and just sad. Much like the people who call it home.

The most notorious residents are the Nelsons. Mrs. Nelson has issues. Serious mental issues and when she leaves her small son alone in a hot car all day, everyone is looking at her oddly. Most of all her 12-year-old, Cassie. Cassie knows what happened that day and has become sullen, rebellious, a thief and a liar.

When Mrs. Nelson disappears no one is surprised. And I was quite sure the husband had quietly killed her and disposed of her body.

Meanwhile next door Sara Lennox has moved in. It’s supposed to be a safe house for her to stay alive until her testimony that will put her boss in prison. She hates it. She hates the people next door. She is plotting her escape every day. And just when it seems she has everything set to flee, a hurricane comes barreling in over the islands. Ready to leave she sees the children from next door. She grabs them and runs to safety.

She’s no saint. No one is looking for a woman with 2 children. But then new information comes to light and she knows she can’t abandon them.

There were stories within stories here. Hank was in the first and then we don’t see him until the end. It was difficult to see why he was there at all.

Everyone in this tale had serious flaws! Not a one of them was likeable except the little boy Boon. It wasn’t my favorite by this author.

Netgalley/March 12th 2019 by Ballantine Books

 

 

 

 

International Women’s Day…RESPECT

CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

A day to recognize women all over the globe. Stand tall, Be Strong. Teach your daughters and your sons about the power of women. We gave you life, now show some appreciation! You don’t ’empower” us, we are already powerful, we don’t need your approval or your interference in matters that do not concern you fellas!

We are tired of playing. Now, we act.

xx P

YOU FIT THE PATTERN by JANE HASELDINE

You Fit The Pattern

A Julia Gooden Mystery

Julia is back! Crime writer Julia Gooden has finished her book on her brother’s abduction and murder when he was a child. And she has helped put his killer behind bars. It’s a good story, but her editor wants more emotion and Julia isn’t sure she wants to do that.

She’s not letting that get in the way of investigating other crimes. Someone is abducting women joggers and leaving them dead in empty churches with cryptic drawings in their hands. And all wearing the same dress. The exact dress Julia wore at a police function with her boyfriend Ray Navarro once.

As Julia digs into the case she gets a call from the killer himself. He wants to be famous and he wants her to make him famous by writing his story. He’ll even give her little clues to the next murder. As the case evolves Julia and the police come to understand that this one is personal. That Julia is the intended last victim. But why? And who is this person?

This is one of my favorite series. Julia is no one’s victim and Ray has no intentions of her being one.

There were some really good new characters in this one and a lot of misdirection which had me over thinking everyone.
That’s good!

Well Done! A big thank you to Kensington and the author for a copy.

 March 26th 2019 by Kensington Publishing